The Secret Service spokesman who claimed that former President Donald Trump’s security detail was never denied requested assets remains employed, as confirmed by the agency’s acting director during a Senate hearing this week. Acting Director Ronald Rowe responded to questions from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) regarding the matter.
On July 14, 2024, Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the Secret Service, stated that there was an untrue assertion that a member of Trump’s team requested additional security resources and that those requests were rebuffed. However, six days later, Guglielmi walked back his statement in a Washington Post report which revealed that top officials at the U.S. Secret Service repeatedly denied requests for additional resources and personnel sought by Donald Trump’s security detail in the two years leading up to his attempted assassination at a rally in Pennsylvania last Saturday.
Guglielmi initially denied these reports, stating that protective resources and technology had been increased as part of the increased campaign travel tempo. However, on August 1, 2024, Guglielmi’s initial post on X has a Community Note that reads, “This has now been confirmed as false. The USSS has now confirmed they did in fact receive requests for additional resources on former President Trump’s security detail which were denied.
During a House Oversight Committee hearing on July 23, 2024, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) asked then-Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle if she had signed off on Guglielmi’s statement. After initially avoiding the question, Cheatle eventually confirmed that she had signed off on it. She resigned the day after the House hearing following her inability to answer lawmakers’ questions regarding the matter.
The ongoing controversy raises questions about the accuracy of statements made by the Secret Service and highlights the need for increased transparency and accountability within the agency.