The suspensions came after an investigation into the incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman's bullet grazed Trump's ear. Those suspended included both supervisory officials and line-level agents, with suspension durations ranging from 10 to 42 days without pay. The exact date of the suspensions remains unclear.
NBC News also reported that several Secret Service personnel were placed on administrative leave due to their actions before and after the assassination attempt. Among those affected was the special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh field office, responsible for coordinating security efforts with local law enforcement ahead of the rally.
In the aftermath of the assassination attempt, lawmakers from both parties quickly raised concerns about the security failures that allowed a 20-year-old gunman to target and shoot President Trump, resulting in the tragic death of firefighter Corey Comperatore. Federal officials later classified the attack as a potential act of domestic terrorism.
Less than two weeks following the incident, Kimberly Cheatle resigned as Director of the Secret Service amid bipartisan pressure for her to step down. In her resignation statement, Cheatle acknowledged the gravity of the security lapse, taking "full responsibility" for the failure to prevent the attack.
In an interview with ABC News before her resignation, Kimberly Cheatle acknowledged a "short period" of time between when the gunman was flagged as suspicious and when he opened fire. A subsequent Senate briefing revealed that Secret Service agents first spotted the gunman on a rooftop 10 minutes before Trump took the stage, and 20 minutes before the shooting occurred. Additionally, Secret Service personnel faced criticism for the delayed response in removing Trump from the stage after the bullet grazed him.
In December, a House task force investigating the incident issued nearly a dozen recommendations aimed at improving Secret Service operations. These included measures such as recording all radio transmissions and logs and establishing new roles designed specifically for "high-pressure moments." In a detailed 180-page report, the task force concluded that the Butler shooting was "preventable," but noted there was no "singular moment or decision" by the Secret Service that directly allowed the gunman to "nearly assassinate" the president.
Despite the flaws in the Secret Service's response to the Butler shooting, the House investigation commended the agency's handling of a second assassination attempt on Trump in September, during a rally in West Palm Beach, Florida. The report credited the Secret Service with demonstrating how "properly executed protective measures can foil an attempted assassination."