Secret Service Couldn’t Fly Drone Due to Connectivity Issue, But Trump Shooter Did Before Rally
“It is something that I have struggled with to understand, and I have no explanation for it.”
Acting Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe claimed agents couldn’t fly a drone due to connectivity issues. However, former President Donald Trump’s shooter had no problem doing it before the rally.
WTF:
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Tuesday that he had been informed by the Secret Service that a drone system was not operational on the day of former President Trump’s rally due to technical difficulties.
“According to the Secret Service, the drone system was supposed to be operational at 3 p.m. that day. However, we’ve been told by Secret Service that because of cellular bandwidth problems, it wasn’t operational until about 5:20 p.m. of that day. If the system was operational, Secret Service would have had the ability to detect the shooter and his own drone use,” Grassley said. “Why is the Secret Service dependent upon local cellular network? Does the Secret Service have a backup plan in place?”
Acting Secret Service director Ronald Rowe answered, “That is something that I briefed in the closed door, and again, something that has cost me a lot of sleep because of the eventual outcome of the assailant. That, what if we had geo-located him because the counter UAS platform had been up? It is something that I have struggled with to understand, and I have no explanation for it.”
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. responds to Senator @ChuckGrassley's questions over the failure of the counter-drone system:
Director Rowe Jr.: “It is something that I have struggled to understand, and I have no explanation for it…we could have perhaps found him;… pic.twitter.com/Xdktt2tdus
— Conservative War Machine (@WarMachineRR) July 30, 2024
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Comments
lefty:
and this is why we must have electric cars
“It is something that I have struggled with to understand, and I have no explanation for it.”
Better answer than his immediate predecessor gave but still unacceptable. The acceptable answer is “I don’t know but I’m going to find out and report back to you right away.”
just b/c cheatel resigned doesnt AND SHOLUDNT MEAN SHE DOESNT HAVE TO TESTIFY
they bring in “new” people so they can say
well I dont know I wasnt in charge etc
cheatle should be testifying no matter what since she was in charge at that time!!!
She already testified.
“who will rid me of this meddlesome ex-president”
this quote has been percolating in my head as well….
Did you see where Sarah Hoyt said how she would write it if she was composing a thriller? https://accordingtohoyt.com/2024/07/18/told-by-an-idiot/
The local police already said they offered the secret service use of their drones, but was turned down.
Secret Service equipment is not operational or Secret Service agents do not know how to operate their equipment?
Probably the latter. It seems no one knows who’s in charge. Who makes the calls. How to communicate with other agencies. How to do their jobs. What to do in emergencies when a threat is made.
This was the F Troop of protective details, so it may be they just didn’t know how to use the drone.
Yes, but will anybody get fired? No, says the new interim director!!! Their jobs are more secure than the gold in Ft Knox.
Promoted … yes.
Weird, I admittedly have an older drone, but I never needed a cellular connection to fly it. I’ve flown it using a tablet that only has WiFi, in a park five states away from home and no where near any public WiFi spots. The only absolutely necessary connections are between the controller and the drone, and the drone locking onto GPS.
Why wasn’t there a TFR? That would have prevented non-government drones from flying in the area.
Yea but your drone is just a cheap consumer model that’s for playing around and taking pictures of your neighbor’s hot wife sunbathing in the nude.
The Secret Service has the high tech, Military Grade, encrypted, satellite data linked model with visible, IR and Night vision modes in 8k ultra HD with face recognition, automatic target designation and tracking and LIDAR collision avoidance systems and cost $1.2 Million. Of course it wouldn’t work in a field in Butler PA when it’s needed.
With circles and arrows on the back.
“Why wasn’t there a TFR?”
There was, effective from 4:20 to 6:15 that afternoon. I am not a pilot, but the lat/long in the TFR (FDC 4/0050) resolves to somewhere in China.
“That would have prevented non-government drones from flying in the area.”
Crooks flew his drone earlier, before the TFR took effect, and so was in compliance.
This hearing reminds me of the famous statement made by Casey Stengel when he was made the manager of the Mets: Can’t anyone here play this game? Is there no one in the Secret Service who knows how to do his job?
Maybe they forgot to pay their cell phone bill?
And now they did have a drone, they just couldn’t fly it?Oy vey.
Just as a reminder.
All their excuses don’t fly.
Did they buy their drones from Temu?
OR, it could be considered that the SS drone was not able to fly because someone, somewhere did not want anyone interfering with Crooks. Which of the two possible explanations would make more sense to the man in the street?
Subotai Bahadur
I suspect that morale at SS is now lower than that at ATFE which has traditionally been the butt of all jokes Federal LE.
Imagine screwing up an operation worse than WACO?