Independent panel investigating Trump rally shooting warns of "deep flaws" in Secret Service, calls for "fundamental reform"

Washington — An independent panel tasked with reviewing the July assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, found the Secret Service suffers from "deep flaws" that enabled the attack at the Trump campaign rally, and called for the agency to undergo "fundamental reform" to carry out its mission of protecting top government officials around the world.

Findings from the panel were made public in a report released Thursday. In a letter accompanying the report signed by all four of its members, the independent review panel said it identified in the course of its investigation "numerous mistakes" that led to the attempted assassination against Trump, but also "deeper systemic issues that must be addressed with urgency."

"The Secret Service as an agency requires fundamental reform to carry out its mission," the members said. "Without that reform, the Independent Review Panel believes another Butler can and will happen again."