Former Secret Service agent highlights agency's mistakes during assassination attempt of former President Trump

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Since the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on July 13, all eyes have been on the Secret Service and what went wrong.

In more than 20 years as a Secret Service agent, Louisville native Greg Gitschier provided security for the Olympics in Russia, the Pope, President Reagan and his family and for five other former and current Presidents.

So when he heard a gunman clipped former President Trump in Pennsylvania, Gitschier couldn't believe the renowned security agency had failed.

"We definitely got a black eye, and we just have to admit it," Gitschier said.

Among the many mistakes made that day in Butler, Pennsylvania, Gitschier said two really stand out.

First, not having eyes high in the sky.

"You know, it would've been really nice if you don't have a helicopter to have a couple drones up because how quick would've they seen that guy on a white roof," Gitschier said.

But instead, the country has learned several hours before the shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, tried to kill the former president, he flew a drone over the venue in Butler.

"That's kind of ironic that we don't have any drones up, but this 20-year-old kid does," Gitschier said.

Gitschier said the second huge mistake was allowing Trump to take the stage even though Crooks was spotted using a single-eye range finder an hour before he began shooting. Then, according to senators who were briefed, Crooks was seen on the rooftop 20 minutes before he opened fire.

"Once that word got anywhere close to the Secret Service, in my opinion, they should've never let the protectee, in this case former President Trump, you never let him out of the vehicle. That's your safe room," Gitschier said.

The sniper who killed Crooks has told other agents Gitschier knows that he couldn't fire until he could make sure Crooks wasn't a police officer and then he lost sight of Crooks until he slightly raised his head.

"He said when he shot all he could see was, imagine this, half the guys scope and his forehead, that's all he had and the guy made the shot and it was probably 400 yards," Gitschier said.

Gitschier also found it painful to watch now former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testimony in Congress on Monday.

"Just tell the truth, we messed up, just tell the truth, tell 'em what happened. They were asking for the timeline, she's like, 'well I really don't have a timeline.' How do you not have a timeline? Everything is documented from A-Z," Gitschier said.

Cheatle resigned and while she's gone, Gitschier hopes the most stringent standards for agents will come back.

"Instead of the top 25 of whatever you are, now it's five of this five of this five of this five of that, you can fill in the blanks. I think you saw what happens when you do that," Gitschier said.

Gitschier said one of his favorite agents of all time is a woman, but he said when it comes to those close to the President, they need to be tall enough to shield him and strong enough to carry him.

Gitschier adds the Secret Service has records of every communication, so we will know if in fact requests from Trump for more security were turned down, or if drones were offered by Pennsylvania law enforcement.

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