Laurel, Maryland — It was almost one year ago that 20-year-old Thomas Crooks attempted to assassinate President Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, an incident which prompted several investigations into the U.S. Secret Service’s actions and procedures on that day.
Prior to the shooting on July 13, 2024, Crooks flew his own commercial drone for 11 minutes above the Butler campaign rally site, but the Secret Service missed it.
This week, CBS News was taken inside the Secret Service’s James J. Rowley Training Center in Laurel, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C., to see the agency’s newest eyes in the sky, a fleet of military-grade drones that reimagine aerial reconnaissance in a post-Butler era.
Matt Quinn, Secret Service deputy director, told CBS News he feels confident in the new technology.
“Yes, we’re in position now, to not just detect, but to mitigate unauthorized UAS (unmanned aircraft systems),” Quinn said.
In Butler, local police warnings did not reach Secret Service counter-snipers because the agencies could not radio each other directly.
Along with the military-grade drones, the Secret Service also established a system of mobile command posts — with price tags ranging from $600,000 to $1.5 million — which allow agents to communicate over radio directly with local law enforcement, something that did not exist in Butler.
“This is tremendous to be able to consolidate communications, make sure everyone’s on the same page,” Quinn said.
It is one of the many lessons still being learned a year later.
“We’re focused today on providing the absolute best technology, the best communications equipment, so that July 13th is never repeated,” Quinn said.
On Thursday, the Secret Service announced it was suspending six personnel without pay following an internal investigation into the Butler shooting, which along with wounding Mr. Trump, left one rallygoer dead and two others injured.
Quinn believes that the changes the Secret Service are making are a step in the right direction.
“I’m confident that we are getting there,” he said.
Nicole Sganga is CBS News’ homeland security and justice correspondent. She is based in Washington, D.C. and reports for all shows and platforms.
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