Secret Service blames poor planning, 'complacency' for its failure to stop Trump assassination attempt

• The U.S. Secret Service said it was to blame for the near-assassination of former President Donald Trump at a July campaign rally.
• Secret Service acting Director Ronald Rowe pointed to "complacency" by some of its agents and communication gaps with local police.
• Trump was grazed with a bullet at a July 13 presidential campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, when assassin Thomas Crooks opened fire at the rally stage.

The U.S. Secret Service said Friday it was to blame for the near-assassination of former President Donald Trump at a July campaign rally, pointing to "complacency" by some of its agents and communication gaps with local police.

"As I've said, this was a failure on the part of the United States Secret Service," said Ronald Rowe, the agency's acting director, at a press conference.

It was the first time since the July 13 shooting that the agency has presented the public with a full picture of the internal breakdowns that led to the attack, which left a member of the audience dead.

The Secret Service was chiefly responsible for crafting the security plan at the presidential campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, where assassin Thomas Crooks was able to open fire at Trump before being shot dead.

But the agency "did not give clear guidance or direction to our local law enforcement partners," Rowe said, and "there were communication deficiencies between law enforcement personnel at the site."

Trump's ear was grazed by a bullet. One rally attendee positioned behind Trump, Corey Comperatore, was killed, and two others were critically injured.

Line-of-sight issues at the Republican nominee's rally site were known about but not effectively addressed in advance, Rowe went on.

He added: "While some members of the