The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | July 15th, 2024: New Assassination Attempt Questions & Judge Dismisses Trump Classified Documents Case

Episode Date: July 15, 2024

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:    As the dust begins to settle from the shocking assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump over the weekend, we are learning more about the potential failures and oversights that allowed the shooter to breach security. In a major win for the former president, the Florida judge overseeing Donald Trump's classified documents trial has moved to dismiss the case. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin.  Email: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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enough, the Florida judge overseeing his classified documents trial has issued a 93-page statement dismissing the case. But first, our afternoon spotlight. In the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on Saturday, questions are mounting over the security planning for the rally. Now, there's been a tremendous amount of speculation on social media. Really? I know you're shocked. Speculation on social media? Regarding the security at the event and actions of the Secret Service and local police. As we've been discussing on the BDB, misinformation typically proliferates at a time like this. And social media and the speed of information delivery, well, they've conditioned folks to expect immediate answers. But that expectation, well, it doesn't

mesh well with the investigative process, which instead demands that you take the time to uncover evidence, verify information, and rely on facts. Now, obviously, there were security problems. and of course, everyone, regardless of experience, insight, or understanding, has an opinion as to how the shooter managed to climb onto a roof with a long gun and fire multiple shots before being terminated. Social media, in the course of one weekend, has turned every person with a phone into an executive protection expert, and these same folks, just days ago, were experts on mental health and the state of Biden's mental acuity. And prior to that, many were experts in warfare on the Ukrainian battlefields, as well as constitutional law, pandemics, and a host of other topics.

My point being, pay attention to the sources of information and their credibility, try to discern between noise and informed comment and facts. Now, having said that, many folks, those with experience and those with none, are legitimately asking how rooftop. with line of sight to the rally stage did not have an officer or officers posted as part of the security package. Two sources, with knowledge of Secret Service operations, have now told NBC news that the rooftop, where the gunman fired, had been identified as a major security vulnerability days before the rally. The rooftops sits adjacent to the Butler Farm Show area, the outdoor venue where Trump was delivering his speech. According to the sources,

The Secret Service was aware of the risk, but did not end up posting any personnel on the rooftop in question. That rooftop was just outside the event's official security perimeter, but at approximately 148 yards from the stage, well, was still within obvious range. One of the sources, a former Senior Secret Service agent, told NBC News, quote, Someone should have been on the roof or securing the building so no one could get on. the roof. Just because it's outside the perimeter, it doesn't take it out of play for a vulnerability, and you've got to mitigate it in some fashion, end quote. That oversight has led to a bit of a blamed game already between the Secret Service and local law enforcement. For some background,

ahead of such events, the Secret Service partners with local law enforcement to supplement security, perform advanced planning of the area, establish a security perimeter, and ultimately position personnel on the ground and rooftops and surrounding area. According to the Secret Service, they had designated the building and rooftop used by the shooter as under the jurisdiction of local law enforcement. Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger, however, said that while the community deployed four sniper teams and four quick response teams at the rally, it was the Secret Service that was ultimately responsible for security outside of the venue and official security perimeter.

Goldinger said, quote, the Secret Service ran the show. They were the ones who designated who did what, end quote. One of the unnamed former Secret Service agents seemed to concur, telling NBC News that even if there was a breakdown on the side of local law enforcement, it is ultimately on the Secret Service to plug those holes in real time. A spokesman for the Secret Service said the agency deployed two of its counter-assault agents on the ground and filled out the rest of the team with six officers from the Butler County Tactical Unit. The Secret Service also deployed two sniper teams, while two other security teams

were staffed by local law enforcement. In another wrinkle, reports confirmed that a Butler Township police officer encountered the shooter on the rooftop after alarmed rally attendees tried to warn authorities about a suspicious person. Police immediately began searching and as one officer tried to climb on the roof, he encountered the shooter. The shooter then began firing on Trump and the rally goers. Given the circumstances of the encounter, the Butler County Sheriff said the officer had little choice but to release his grip on the building. With all that in mind, it goes without saying that this incident raises significant questions about the security surrounding former President Trump. Anthony Kangalosi, a former Secret Service agent, told NBC News, quote,

I don't like making any assumptions, but it does look like some mistakes were made that this was preventable, do you think? You don't surrender the discretion of what's supposed to be done to the local police. This is basic, and the Secret Service has done it for years successfully, so I'm really surprised, he said, that they did not have that high ground covered, end quote. While the FBI is already investigating the incident, House Republican leaders have announced that they will hold a hearing with the U.S. Secret Service and other federal law enforcement officials, Additionally, House Speaker Mike Johnson said that the House will conduct a full investigation into the shooting. For his part, President Joe Biden also called for an independent review of the security at the rally and directed the head of the U.S. Secret Service to review security measures for this week's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. In an Oval Office address on Sunday evening, President Biden said, quote,

Politics must never be a literal battlefield, God forbid, a killing field. End quote. Well, look, clearly he's not wrong, but the top line question here is, will this attempt on Trump's life actually change the tone of political discourse? The politicians and pundits are all saying the right things. For now, violence is unacceptable, we have to turn down the temperature, we need to be more civil, but none of that means anything unless put into action by both sides. And that requires self-awareness and acceptance of responsibility. for being part of the problem. Coming up after the break,

in a major win for the former president, the Florida judge overseeing Trump's classified documents trial has moved to dismiss the case. I'll be right back. Starting a business can seem like a daunting task unless you have a partner like Shopify. They have the tools you need to start and grow your business. From designing a website to marketing, to selling and beyond,

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a decision with national security implications. that's, of course, right up our alley here on the PDB. Judge Cannon, appointed by Trump in 2020, delivered the ruling on Monday, marking a sudden and dramatic end to one of the most significant legal challenges facing the former president. Trump, who had pleaded not guilty,

was charged with 40 felony counts, including illegally retaining classified documents at his Moralago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and obstructing the FBI's attempts to retrieve them. The special counsel, Jack Smith, was appointed to oversee the investigation, and his office was funded by the Justice Department, reportedly to the tune of some $10 million to date, and that's a point of contention for the defense. In her 93-page order, Cannon declared the appointment of Special Counsel Smith as, quote,

unlawful, effectively ending the prosecution's pursuit under the charges. Cannon criticized the executive branch's recent pattern of appointing special counsels with minimal judicial oversight. Trump's legal team had argued that the case should be dismissed under the Appointments Clause, a theory supported by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas's recent opinion in the presidential immunity case, suggesting that the special counsel's office must be established by Congress and its head confirmed by the Senate. The crux of Trump's argument was that Smith, as an independently acting special counsel, should be considered what they call a principal officer, which would require Senate approval.

Smith's team argued otherwise, maintaining that Smith is not a principal officer, and that Attorney General Garland, who appointed Smith, ensures adherence to Justice Department protocols. Smith's team suggested that dismissing the entire case was not the appropriate remedy. The Justice Department, of course, is expected to appeal this decision, potentially escalating the case to the Supreme Court. This dismissal adds to Trump's string of recent legal successes as he heads to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. And speaking of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which is where I am currently, on a final note on political developments, Trump has announced.

his vice presidential pick for the upcoming election. And the winner is, J.D. Vance. We'll have details on that decision in tomorrow's PDB. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Monday, 15 July. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And of course, as you've no doubt heard, to listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of the president's daily brief by visiting pdbpremium.com. It couldn't be simpler. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile, with a message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please for the love of everything good in this world, stop. With Mint, you can get premium

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