Whistleblower Allegations: Inadequate Training for DHS Agents Guarding Trump

Whistleblower Claims of Insufficient Training

Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, on Tuesday disclosed allegations from a whistleblower about the inadequate training of the Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents. These agents were tasked with protecting Donald Trump during the fatal rally that took place in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. According to the senator, the whistleblower informed him that the only training many HSI agents received was a single two-hour webinar on Microsoft Teams, which featured pre-recorded videos.

Technical Issues and Lack of Substantive Content

The whistleblower claimed that the videos were not comprehensive, and their playback was often plagued with technical issues. This left the HSI agents ill-equipped for the protective mission they were newly assigned to, Hawley stated in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Citing the whistleblower's words, Hawley said, "Imagine 1,000 people logging onto Microsoft Teams at the same time after being informed at the last minute that everyone needed to login individually. Once it got rolling, the Secret Service instructor couldn’t figure out how to get the audio working on the prerecorded videos (which I’m told are the same videos as last year). All told, they restarted the videos approximately six times …. The content was not helpful."

No Changes in Training Methods Post Assassination Attempt

What's even more concerning, according to the senator, is that the DHS hasn't altered its training methods following the assassination attempt on July 13. Hawley also pointed out that some HSI agents were reassigned from child sexual-exploitation cases to serve as security for Trump.

Questions to Homeland Security Secretary

Hawley posed several questions to Mayorkas about the matter, including the number of HSI agents present at the July 13 Trump rally, the number of agents who received webinar training, and the number reassigned from child exploitation cases. It was Hawley's office that disclosed on July 19 that the majority of Trump’s security detail were allegedly not actual Secret Service agents, but rather the HSI agents mentioned above. "This is especially concerning given that HSI agents were unfamiliar with standard protocols typically used at these types of events, according to the allegations," Hawley noted in July.

Bottom Line

This revelation raises serious questions about the preparedness and training of those entrusted with the safety of high-profile figures. If these allegations are true, it's alarming that the DHS has not made changes to its training methods following such a significant event. What are your thoughts on these whistleblower allegations? Do you think changes need to be made in the training of security agents? Share your thoughts with your friends and consider signing up for the Daily Briefing, which is delivered every day at 6pm.