The U.S. Secret Service refused offers to use drones at former President Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania before the failed assassination attempt there, a whistleblower told Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.
Then-Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle told House members Monday that she was awaiting an investigation to determine whether the service did use drones to help secure the rally site in Butler, Pennsylvania.
"NEW - Whistleblower tells me local law enforcement partners & suppliers offered drones to Secret Service BEFORE the rally - but Secret Service declined," Hawley posted on X with an image of a letter he sent to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
While it appears the Secret Service did not rely on drones to help secure the site, FBI Director Christopher Wray told the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that the alleged shooter successfully flew his own drone around the venue two hours before opening fire.
"According to one whistleblower, the night before the rally, U.S. Secret Service repeatedly denied offers from a local law enforcement partner to utilize drone technology to secure the rally," Hawley wrote Mayorkas.
"This means that the technology was both available to USSS and able to be deployed to secure the site. Secret Service said no. The whistleblower further alleges that after the shooting took place, USSS changed course and asked the local partner to deploy the drone technology to surveil the site in the aftermath of the attack."
Hawley...
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