Florida Congressman Mike Waltz alleged that the Secret Service was "repeatedly requested" to increase protection for US presidential candidate Donald Trump. He claimed that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas denied the request.
"I have very reliable sources telling me there have been repeated requests for stronger secret service protection for President Trump. Denied by Secretary Mayorkas," Waltz posted on X on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the “head of the Secret Service and the leader of this security detail should resign.” He posted this on X while sharing a video wherein a witness was heard telling the BBC that he “informed the police and the Secret Service about a suspicious man on a roof with a rifle.”
Musk's and Waltz's comments came following the assassination attempt on Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Sunday, July 14.
He made the claims even as many, including Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, commended the secret service "for their quick and decisive actions" following the assassination attempt.
A Hindustan Times report claimed that Trump, the Republican candidate, was exposed 360 degrees at the Pennsylvania rally with the assassin allowed to take no less than five shots from his AR-15 assault rifle. It added that the Indian Special Protection Group (SPG) allows only 180-degree exposure to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The HT report highlighted other lacunae, too. It explained that Trump's assassin was spotted a mere 120 yards from the dais. Moreover, the effective range of the AR-15 rifle used by the assassin is 400 meters. “Had Trump not turned at the last millisecond, the bullet would have found its target,” the report added.
The report claimed that the “Indian SPG does a 200 square meter sweep from the dais when PM Modi speaks with a gap of nearly 50-100 meters between the public and the speaking VVIP.”
A top Indian security expert was quoted saying, "I would give 6/10 marks to the US Secret Service in handling the assassination attempt." The expert said the access control was faulty, and the VVIP’s head was unprotected while he was being moved to his vehicle.
"This made him totally vulnerable to the assassin bullet had there been a team of attackers," the expert said.
