Yes. Heads at the Secret Service need to roll. It also looks like the director was appointed for her connections to Mr. Biden. Praetorianism needs to be avoided. There was a story in Pournelle’s “Exile—And Glory” where personal loyalty to the President by a Secret Service agent was another sign of decay in the Republic.
The idea that violence for political ends is acceptable should scare people. The organizations giving legal cover to the left-wing groups need to be removed. There’s got to be a remedy.
The more information that comes out the more shocking this all become,s and the less likely that it was planned, purchased and carried out by mere brats in the pup tents. Those in charge of security that day cannot even keep a coherent story straight, a trait you find common among liars.
The FBI does not seem to care about hardcore leftists who occupy Wall Street, tear down statues, burn courthouses or turn college lawns into sewers let alone the people who fund them. If, however, you prefer the Latin mass or hold up a picture of Mary and her Son in front of an abortion mill you are deemed a potential terrorist. Shame on the RCC for administering the sacraments to Biden.
I was amazed at how many Palestinian flags were available the moment Israel was attacked on 10 7 23. It shouldn't be too difficult to go to the distributor and find out who is paying for those flags.
I know for a fact there are dioceses in the Catholic Church where the bishop has let it be known to the Biden camp "Do not try to receive Communion at Mass in my diocese." I'd like to know who is paying for all those flags as well.
And let us not forget that the FBI had the authority to use deadly force on anyone who interfered with their raid of Mar a Lago including Secret Service agents.
I wonder if they would blown away Melania if she hit an agent with her frying pan.
I guess when the FBI does it, that means it is not violence.
The SS guys in their command post inside the building seemed very incurious who was stomping around on their rooftop, no? Such a hazardous pitched roof. Much dangerous. Many fear! LOL Over/under on the chances of the real story coming out in our lifetimes?
Of course, if the Kabul police under their new Taliban paymasters had done their job and kept al-Logari out of the mass of refugees, then the attack on Abbey Gate would not have been successful. Nothing is ever the fault of "the Smartest People in the Room" TM.
But there still was someone in the SS who should have been coordinating with the local LEO. Usually that is a local SS agent that is not part of the protection detail.
Wouldn't he have to be informed there was an actual threat 450 feet away? All the conflicting information needs ballistic checks and further examination. But the guys hosing DNA evidence off the rooftop of the SS command post might not be the ones to tell us the truth.
I'm just scratching my head why after someone on an open channel said "gun" Trump wasn't immediately removed.
When the Secret Service sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing incompetence. They’re bringing crime. They’re morons. And some, I assume, are good people.
“…where personal loyalty to the President by a Secret Service agent…”. Hmmmmmm, wasn’t that tried by a leader somewhere back in the 30s and 40s? I forget exactly where, but it’ll come to me.
Personal loyalty is a bad thing? Or better to have loyalty to an ideology that seeks to eliminate the President and the agent will stand by and say nothing? The SS used to have enough personal loyalty they'd get between the president and a bullet should the need arise. Here at some level it looks like the entire system was abused to leave him exposed, vulnerable and ready to be taken out. Where have we seen that before? Please keep your Hitler similes to yourself in this respect. If any personal loyalties were at play here it was the BFF of the First Lady who ran the show and diverted the A team to her little re-election group across the state that should be questioned. Her refusal to fall on her own sword at this absolute failure of the organization's mission says it all.
The remedy is at the voting booth and a leader who will and can rally the nation to put aside policy differences on such things as transgender-ism, abortion policy etc. and to concentrate on leadership in individual freedom, education, fair tax policies and mutual defense-the very reason the country was founded.
Stellar commentary. So much truth. We have a right side media group in Minnesota called Alpha News.
Last week before the ‘attempt’ they posted a video if interviews in Maple Grove MN (an high median income area) and one middle aged man, seemingly ‘normal’ accused Trump of being a ‘dictator’.
An absurd claim. Under what proof of evidence did he come to this conclusion?
All I’ve seen is that he wants to protect individual liberties.
Here in Minnesota we have a trifecta in the legislature, all controlled by the left that collectively is a ‘dictatorship’ - a little hyperbole, but controlling what they can.
Just as you referred to the agency head, the education union here gets ‘dues’ which are effectively public money, to control insanity versus actual education.
I'm glad we're all willing to look harshly upon the Secret Service for putting women and incompetents in positions that require über-competent men to carry out the mission.
I hope we'll get to a similar frame of mind regarding our sea services, someday.
If I was a communist running the Secret Service, and if I wanted my side to hurt Trump, I would staff his protection detail with short, fat, flighty, incompetent middle-aged women.
I'm sure the FBI will release the full findings of its completely above-board investigation into this incident, right after they release the details on the Las Vegas Massacre.
That's the biggest concern I have the Intelligence Community and FBI.....They have lost the trust of the American People and rightfully so.... I'm in the Intelligence Community and I don't trust half the reports I read because they aren't objective nor sourced correctly like our ICD standards have outlined for decades.
You are so right. I was on a Navy base recently, and they got rid of all the chiefs. All they had left were "short, fat, flighty, incompetent middle-aged women" running around in khakis with anchors on their collars. Our Navy will not survive first contact.
Did you notice in the vide0 (s) the female SS Agent having difficulty holstering her service weapon. I was afraid she was going to shoot herself in the foot. Or worse.
Even the media delayed reporting on the incident to check the wind first. I learned of the assassination attempt on X a full 2-3 minutes before the trad media gave “Special Reports”. Combine the shooting with almost ten years of vilification of DJT, the Republican Party, Christians, and Gun Owners, and this is the result. Need to tell the story of “The Three Boxes” and understand the left has tried all three and failed. Do not know what comes next but predict that NO-ONE will be held accountable in this current administration.
Well said. Lot's of facts yet to come out, of course, but your analysis of what we have is spot on. I particularly appreciate your take on the SS. Thanks!!
I heard that much of the Trump SS coverage was taken away at the last minute so that Dr. Jill of the First Lady Anthem could have her own re-election rally in Pittsburgh.
Not sure on that, it is being denied (of course). I will say, on the single time I have had in depth experience with SS (Economic summit, Venice 1987) we had layers of protection, Inner lair was USN (I was CO) with SS riding our boats. Next layer out was Carabinieri, after that Polizia of various types. It could be that the infamous roof top was supposed to be covered by part of the outer layer (i.e. local law enforcement). I suspect this will gradually come out.
It's hard to believe one of the premier perches in the vicinity would have been left to locals by SS, but yes, incompetency is possible, if not persuasive.
Thankyou CDR, for your expression of compassion for the Comperatore family. 'twas the most important thing.
Our society is ridden, left and right, with rot. It takes true inner strength to stand against it all, from either side.
as to the very excellent shooting info.......I've always wondered why, when we hear of umpty-ump Thousand Yard sniper shots..........why doesn't the Secret Service greatly expand their coverage? One wonders indeed at the competence we've seen...
My heart broke watching the video of the scene in his section with his wife and daughter watching him die. A good man, a firefighter who had been risking his life for his fellow citizens for decades. Heartbreaking.
I have seen Marines at Basic with two weeks of snapping in shoot at minimum Marksman's and some shoot expert with the M-16A1.
My Transition from the M-14 High Sharpshooter went to middle Expert the first time at the range with the M-16. It is an easy gun to shoot since it shoot's a flat trajectory.
Yet the killers others shots flew widely. I believe it was that one shot that was just lucky close.
MPBR is the range at which a bullet from a properly zeroed rifle neither rises above nor falls below 3 inches from the line of sight. Within MPBR, the shooter can aim directly for center of mass. Trump was unbelievably lucky; so was the rest of the USA.
How many "on the right" have repeatedly called for violence against political opponents, called to "get in their faces in the streets", called them literally Hitler and dictators?
We must tolerate no more "both sideism" on this issue. We are NOT the same.
How many cities would be burning today if that had been Barack Obama?
CDR Sal, very, very well said. OBTW, prepare to be labeled as someone who needs to "tone it down, dial it back, this is not who we are, on and on." Ignore it, as I know you will.
Institutionally, DoD has been here multiple times before. The staggering number of leadership position officers cashiered in the early days of WWII is well documented. Fehrenbach documented what the Doolittle Commission did to the armed services after WWII, and the impact it had on the early days of the Korean conflict. We have had the object lesson before us again and again, but do not learn as an institution. We do actually track lessons learned (or claim to). Writ large, the leviathan we call the U.S. government makes no effort.
Given we reflect the society we protect, why should we? Given the current educational system position that your failure is not your fault, the (relatively) recent lack of accountability for disastrous institutional failure is consistent with the attitude of the society.
That assumes benign actions due to screwed up core values. It's been said that malice is indistinguishable from massive incompetence. As Robert Heinlein said, "Never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by incompetence. But don't rule out malice." Let's not.
Were resources redirected, reallocated (note other VIP schedules in the same time / area), is there institutional rot so deep that failure was inevitable? I'd like to say we'll find out, but, given the tendency for failed institutions to investigate themselves, not all that hopeful.
Concur 100%. People who make emotive, bad faith arguments see reality thru a different, largely tribal based lens. If you are not in the tribe, you are fair game for...criticism.
WRT the ballistics, if as it appears the dirtbag was using a typical milspec AR (i.e., no two stage trigger or match barrel or match ammo), typical accuracy of the weapon would be 4 MOA. I.e., at 130 yards, the pattern (where the bullet may hit even if you do everything else right) is going to be a 6” diameter circle around the point of aim. Good enough for center mass shots but not headshots: milspec AR’s are simply not precision rifles.
And unless the weapon had some sort of optics (unclear from the drone video whether it did or not), trying to hit a 6” target at that distance with iron sights, on a milspec AR, with ball ammo, and most importantly UNDER STRESS, is not going to be easy for anyone who is not an experienced rifleman.
But agree 100% that SS screwed this one up royally.
A military rack grade rifle can have that poor accuracy - that's the lowest acceptable accuracy, not the typical accuracy. A typical AR-15 with typical ammo will group much better than that, IMHO. I'd be very unhappy with a frankenAR that doesn't group undere 2" at 100 meters, I'd expect closer to 1.25"
But apparently, while being surveilled by the cops (whichever agency), the shooter was interrupted by another cop climbing up the ladder: The shooter turned towards him, the cop dropped down, and the shooter then started shooting - without a stable position at that point.
After 5-6 shots, the police shot him.
Not sure why he wasn't shot when he turned towards the cop climbing the ladder: Not sure why the cops waited for 5-6 shots
SWAG- ROE were get confirmation if CS team is going to shoot first. Apparently there's an argument now going on between the team and the head of the SS detachment on ROE if they could shoot without permission.
(1) Cop was going up a ladder to the roof because there was a report of someone on the roof -- no other reason for him to do so.
(2) That report and the fact that the cop was investigating would have been made known to command -- last thing the cop on the ladder wants is to be mistaken as a threat by the sniper teams.
(3) If there was a report of someone on the roof, 100% certain one or more of the sniper teams had eyes on him.
(4) If they had eyes on him, they would have seen he had a rifle, and so it is very plausible that a sniper requested permission to engage but was refused (e.g., "let's send someone up to make sure," "don't shoot unless / until he does," etc.)
(5) the fact that the dirtbag was neutralized immediately after getting off his shots strongly suggests to me that the SS countersnipers had eyes on him and had their weapons trained on him.
Now, all of this is educated speculation that assumes the accuracy of the press reports. But if it cooks out, and SS had eyes on him but didn't take him out until after four people were shot, the SS commander who refused permission to take the shot needs to be piloried.
And, if they had eyes on him when the officer was on his way up the ladder (e.g., "don't engage; we'll send someone up to check first"), then they also would have seen him level his rifle at the cop. (This assumes, of course, the accuracy of the press report that the dirtbag did so and the cop ducked down).
If that's the case, and the CS teams saw him level a rifle at a LE officer, someone should have taken the shot at that point. Comms recordings will make for interesting listening, although I daresay SS will do its best to hide them if SS Command was refusing permission to shoot.
UHMWPE (a/k/a polyethelene armor) is rifle rated (up to 7.62 NATO ball) and a lot lighter and cooler than ceramic plates + kevlar. My understanding is that UHMWPE is what they have high-value protectees like PDT wear.
It degrades a lot faster than kevlar or ceramic, and it won't stop steel-core stuff. But I've seen a demo where they emptied a full mag of 7.62x39 into a dummy-wearing vest at point blank range. None of it got through the vest.
saw elsewhere that might have something on one of the agents suits, almost same but slightly darker color. It did look like a hole, but maybe too big for 556 also
Well, this also needs to include the fact that the would-be assassin's aim would have been dead on and successful despite the wind and the ammo type had Pres. Trump not gone off script, turned away from his teleprompters at the last minute and turned his head to look at the graphics they just put up on the jumbotron. That literal last second slight shift in the very angle of his head saved him from dying exactly like Mr. Comperatore. And it would have been captured on HDTV quality video for America to have to watch live over and over to the everlasting delight of the people who will not rest until he is gone. The man has a wife, children and young grandchildren who would have had to view that forever, and not in some grainy blurry Zapruder film, but on HDTV, the internet and made into cruel memes for all time to come. Such is the nature of those who know nothing but hatred for the good, the true and the beautiful. Makes me sick.
Fortunately, we live in an age where nearly everyone is Zapruder. How many cameras were aimed at Trump the other day? How many other cameras spanned the rest of the landscape? It's tough to cover up so much random, audiovisual truthiness in this age of ubiquitous digital recording. USMC General Zinni used to discuss the idea of the "strategic corporal" in an era of comprehensive news coverage, and how the rules of conduct have changed with the growth of surveillance. Moving forward, the "story" must marry-up with actual evidence, of which there now is much.
You underestimate the mendacity of the MSM when it comes to covering up empirical evidence. Remember "mostly peaceful protestors" as the city block was burning? This entire incident will be thrown down the memory hole as soon as possible.
My read, despite Sal's excellent ballistic analysis, is that the head turn is what saved him.
Too close. We as a nation, were spared and I've gotta see the Divine in this. Trump's assassination likely woulda been the last straw for a LOT of people; people who heretofore have been quite restrained.
When they start with their "both sides need to calm down" and "there are all kinds of extremists" rhetoric, only one question needs to really be answered honestly, and perhaps attitudes adjusted privately in response.
Had that been Barack Obama, how many cities would be in flames today?
and our corporate media and anti-Trump political corporations (DNC and RNC) have guaranteed there are 100's of others just like him out there to be activated, maybe triggered in a better word, in the coming months and years
An additional note on the ballistics (entirely my speculative musings based on knowledge of AR-15 / M16 ballistics): It is entirely possible that the shooter actually was not aiming at the head at all but near center mass. If an M16 is sighted in for the standard 300m battlesight zero (which places point of impact on the line of site (actual line of aim seen through the sights) at 300m, then the actual travel of the bullet starts approximately 3.5 inches below the line of site at the muzzle, and climbs to a maximum of approximately 8.5 inches above the line of site at about 175m. In other words, if the rifle was zeroed according to typical infantry practice, the actual placement of the shot would be consistent with aiming at the upper chest.
Cool article, thank you for that. I was of course relating the information from the zero practice I was familiar with of course (300m zero) from infantry experience in the Army.
Edit: I am fairly certain that the army infantry practice is primarily based on maximizing the range at which effective suppressive fire can be delivered.
Yes. The Battle Zero vs the true zero. Designed to get a hit at POA of 300m as bullet drops still a hit. Minimizes the variables such as stress, cheek weld, fire position etc.
Thank you. Words are not at the ready given the last 3 weeks. Though one thread continues to run throughout the state we find ourselves in and that’s the lost pride & professionalism throughout our institutions.
We all have seen this with the state of readiness & incompetence at fielding capabilities and scaling for required capacity. For as bad as things have gotten within the political cadre in the NatSec space it’s far worse in all other institutions. They already had poor fitness when at least we installed competent leadership but we have had a couple decades of the worst of us hollowing out these institutions.
"There remained the possibility of taking the enemy leader and his companion captive. Stepping from his place of concealment, Ferguson called to the hussar officer, who was the nearer to him, and signaled him to dismount. The only response was an excited cry of warning to the rider in the remarkable large cocked hat, who promptly wheeled his charger and made for the further edge of the clearing.
“As I was within that distance,” Ferguson subsequently recorded, “at which, in the quickest firing, I could have lodged halt a dozen of balls in or about him before he was out of my reach, I had only to determine; but it was not pleasant to fire at the back of an unoffending individual who was acquitting himself coolly of his duty, and so I let him alone.”"
Washington and, possibly, Lafayette. Providence my friend.
Trump must fire his detail and hire private security. It must be presumed at this point the entire secret service is compromised. There are simply too many coincidences and failures in this tragedy. Divine intervention is the only thing that stands between us and a full blown socio-political disaster and CW.
MRT's Haircut: "lady midgets" gets you two demerit points and a half-day of microaggression sensitivity training. Off you go. Class starts in five minutes.
Butler is my Hometown. I was at the Rally on Saturday. There's a lot more to this than meets the eye. The State Police were denied overtime to work at the rally. This cut down on the available manpower. I've heard a rumor that the "manufacturing company" denied permission for the Secret Service to be on the rooftop that the shooter was on. There's several other "oddities" as well. Here's one question that I have. Less than 24 hours, the gunman was identified, the political party that he was registered under was identified and that he had made a $15 donation to a political group was known. The shooting took place around 6:20 PM on a Saturday. The information was made public on a SUNDAY afternoon. How was that information obtained? Who leaked it to the media? If the shooter was a Democrat, would we have found out as quickly?
Rumor has it he registered as a Republican to vote in primaries to mess with closed primaries. I know for a fact he made a contribution to the democrats on 1/20/21 and his mother is a registered Democrat and his father is a registered Independent.
The company allowed the police to station snipers there. The police put three snipers inside the building looking out through the windows for any threats. It apparently was inconceivable that anyone would climb on the roof of the building with the police snipers, so they took no steps to prevent anyone from climbing on the roof of the building.
Well said.
Yes. Heads at the Secret Service need to roll. It also looks like the director was appointed for her connections to Mr. Biden. Praetorianism needs to be avoided. There was a story in Pournelle’s “Exile—And Glory” where personal loyalty to the President by a Secret Service agent was another sign of decay in the Republic.
The idea that violence for political ends is acceptable should scare people. The organizations giving legal cover to the left-wing groups need to be removed. There’s got to be a remedy.
“The idea that violence for political ends is acceptable should scare people.”
Apparently, it doesn’t faze a large number whose political compass is guided by the phrase, “By any means necessary.” Usual suspects, of course.
“The idea that violence for political ends is acceptable should scare people.”
What are ANTIFA and Burn, Loot and Murder (BLM) all about?
Have we already forgotten all the brats in their pup tents infecting college campuses this past Spring?
The more information that comes out the more shocking this all become,s and the less likely that it was planned, purchased and carried out by mere brats in the pup tents. Those in charge of security that day cannot even keep a coherent story straight, a trait you find common among liars.
The FBI does not seem to care about hardcore leftists who occupy Wall Street, tear down statues, burn courthouses or turn college lawns into sewers let alone the people who fund them. If, however, you prefer the Latin mass or hold up a picture of Mary and her Son in front of an abortion mill you are deemed a potential terrorist. Shame on the RCC for administering the sacraments to Biden.
I was amazed at how many Palestinian flags were available the moment Israel was attacked on 10 7 23. It shouldn't be too difficult to go to the distributor and find out who is paying for those flags.
I know for a fact there are dioceses in the Catholic Church where the bishop has let it be known to the Biden camp "Do not try to receive Communion at Mass in my diocese." I'd like to know who is paying for all those flags as well.
I am glad to hear that. The MSM always makes it a point to tell us that Biden attended mass in Delaware.
And let us not forget that the FBI had the authority to use deadly force on anyone who interfered with their raid of Mar a Lago including Secret Service agents.
I wonder if they would blown away Melania if she hit an agent with her frying pan.
I guess when the FBI does it, that means it is not violence.
Federal Judge just tossed the case.
The SS is already pointing their fingers at the local LEO. Meanwhile someone in the SS chain of command allowed this to happen. Watch this video
https://substack.com/@morgthorak/note/c-62036217
Trump was one coward cop and 1 inch away from being killed.
The SS guys in their command post inside the building seemed very incurious who was stomping around on their rooftop, no? Such a hazardous pitched roof. Much dangerous. Many fear! LOL Over/under on the chances of the real story coming out in our lifetimes?
No, just like the LBJ and JFK event.
Of course, if the Kabul police under their new Taliban paymasters had done their job and kept al-Logari out of the mass of refugees, then the attack on Abbey Gate would not have been successful. Nothing is ever the fault of "the Smartest People in the Room" TM.
Wait, what is the PRIMARY job the USSS has?
To improve diverse representation in all parts of the organization , Silly. That's easy
You forgot "to pave the way for the assassin and cover up the investigation afterward should the protectee need to be eliminated by the paymasters."
But there still was someone in the SS who should have been coordinating with the local LEO. Usually that is a local SS agent that is not part of the protection detail.
Not sure why one of the snipers didn't raise the alarm first, then try to take the shot.
Because there was likely an on scene commander who refused to allow the shot.
Would the on scene commander also not tell the personal detail to remove Trump from the stage?
Wouldn't he have to be informed there was an actual threat 450 feet away? All the conflicting information needs ballistic checks and further examination. But the guys hosing DNA evidence off the rooftop of the SS command post might not be the ones to tell us the truth.
I'm just scratching my head why after someone on an open channel said "gun" Trump wasn't immediately removed.
When the Secret Service sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing incompetence. They’re bringing crime. They’re morons. And some, I assume, are good people.
“…where personal loyalty to the President by a Secret Service agent…”. Hmmmmmm, wasn’t that tried by a leader somewhere back in the 30s and 40s? I forget exactly where, but it’ll come to me.
Personal loyalty is a bad thing? Or better to have loyalty to an ideology that seeks to eliminate the President and the agent will stand by and say nothing? The SS used to have enough personal loyalty they'd get between the president and a bullet should the need arise. Here at some level it looks like the entire system was abused to leave him exposed, vulnerable and ready to be taken out. Where have we seen that before? Please keep your Hitler similes to yourself in this respect. If any personal loyalties were at play here it was the BFF of the First Lady who ran the show and diverted the A team to her little re-election group across the state that should be questioned. Her refusal to fall on her own sword at this absolute failure of the organization's mission says it all.
Not just the head of USSS. Mayorkas (the USSS reports to DHS) has to go as well, for this and two dozen other reasons.
Ideally, yes. In practice, he’s a typical shameless Dem hack.
The Dems love him for keeping the border wide open.
The remedy is at the voting booth and a leader who will and can rally the nation to put aside policy differences on such things as transgender-ism, abortion policy etc. and to concentrate on leadership in individual freedom, education, fair tax policies and mutual defense-the very reason the country was founded.
Stellar commentary. So much truth. We have a right side media group in Minnesota called Alpha News.
Last week before the ‘attempt’ they posted a video if interviews in Maple Grove MN (an high median income area) and one middle aged man, seemingly ‘normal’ accused Trump of being a ‘dictator’.
An absurd claim. Under what proof of evidence did he come to this conclusion?
All I’ve seen is that he wants to protect individual liberties.
Here in Minnesota we have a trifecta in the legislature, all controlled by the left that collectively is a ‘dictatorship’ - a little hyperbole, but controlling what they can.
Just as you referred to the agency head, the education union here gets ‘dues’ which are effectively public money, to control insanity versus actual education.
I'm glad we're all willing to look harshly upon the Secret Service for putting women and incompetents in positions that require über-competent men to carry out the mission.
I hope we'll get to a similar frame of mind regarding our sea services, someday.
That Afghanistan debacle of 2021 kinda speaks for itself as well.
Alarm bells should be going off everywhere after observing the performance of that "elite" Secret Servive detail.
When goals, other than the performance of the team is the priority, performance predictable suffers.
I am very concerned about the damage such thinking has done to our military.
If I was a communist running the Secret Service, and if I wanted my side to hurt Trump, I would staff his protection detail with short, fat, flighty, incompetent middle-aged women.
I agree but it appears things broke down before shots were fired.
There is no way that geeky, untrained kid, should have been able to get onto that roof and into firing position.
I'm sure the FBI will release the full findings of its completely above-board investigation into this incident, right after they release the details on the Las Vegas Massacre.
That's the biggest concern I have the Intelligence Community and FBI.....They have lost the trust of the American People and rightfully so.... I'm in the Intelligence Community and I don't trust half the reports I read because they aren't objective nor sourced correctly like our ICD standards have outlined for decades.
Agreed. Confidence in our institutions is at a low. Rightly so.
You are so right. I was on a Navy base recently, and they got rid of all the chiefs. All they had left were "short, fat, flighty, incompetent middle-aged women" running around in khakis with anchors on their collars. Our Navy will not survive first contact.
Communist, Democrats, is there a difference?
Did you notice in the vide0 (s) the female SS Agent having difficulty holstering her service weapon. I was afraid she was going to shoot herself in the foot. Or worse.
Dave Peterson
Even the media delayed reporting on the incident to check the wind first. I learned of the assassination attempt on X a full 2-3 minutes before the trad media gave “Special Reports”. Combine the shooting with almost ten years of vilification of DJT, the Republican Party, Christians, and Gun Owners, and this is the result. Need to tell the story of “The Three Boxes” and understand the left has tried all three and failed. Do not know what comes next but predict that NO-ONE will be held accountable in this current administration.
Characteristically, mainstream media beclowned itself with reports that DJT "fell down" (CNN) after "loud noises heard" (WashPost).
It is “that kind” of reporting that should put nails in the coffin of the current masters of trad media. Spin over truth….
there's too many to bother with coffins, think more like quarries and quicklime
Well said. Lot's of facts yet to come out, of course, but your analysis of what we have is spot on. I particularly appreciate your take on the SS. Thanks!!
I heard that much of the Trump SS coverage was taken away at the last minute so that Dr. Jill of the First Lady Anthem could have her own re-election rally in Pittsburgh.
Hmm another “coincidence”
Not sure on that, it is being denied (of course). I will say, on the single time I have had in depth experience with SS (Economic summit, Venice 1987) we had layers of protection, Inner lair was USN (I was CO) with SS riding our boats. Next layer out was Carabinieri, after that Polizia of various types. It could be that the infamous roof top was supposed to be covered by part of the outer layer (i.e. local law enforcement). I suspect this will gradually come out.
It's hard to believe one of the premier perches in the vicinity would have been left to locals by SS, but yes, incompetency is possible, if not persuasive.
https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/1e3v06c/plenty_of_time_to_stop_the_threat_synced_video/ This video is very interesting when you sync it all.
Very interesting indeed.
Indeed
https://i.imgflip.com/8x0k9y.jpg
Thankyou CDR, for your expression of compassion for the Comperatore family. 'twas the most important thing.
Our society is ridden, left and right, with rot. It takes true inner strength to stand against it all, from either side.
as to the very excellent shooting info.......I've always wondered why, when we hear of umpty-ump Thousand Yard sniper shots..........why doesn't the Secret Service greatly expand their coverage? One wonders indeed at the competence we've seen...
My heart broke watching the video of the scene in his section with his wife and daughter watching him die. A good man, a firefighter who had been risking his life for his fellow citizens for decades. Heartbreaking.
150 yards is point blank range for an AR platform 5.56 x 45 mm
If you are accustomed to using such a weapon.
I have seen Marines at Basic with two weeks of snapping in shoot at minimum Marksman's and some shoot expert with the M-16A1.
My Transition from the M-14 High Sharpshooter went to middle Expert the first time at the range with the M-16. It is an easy gun to shoot since it shoot's a flat trajectory.
Yet the killers others shots flew widely. I believe it was that one shot that was just lucky close.
This kid was no Marine at the firing range at Camp Lejeunne.
Assuming he was the shooter can you imagine what was going through his head as he plotted to kill the President?
The better explanation is that he was a patsy for someone who could fire under pressure.
The kid had some experience with firearms to make him a plausible killer.
Too bad he was blown away and can never be questioned. Where have I seen this happen before?
Did you see the video of him crawling on the roof? No rifle.
Semper Fi, Gator Navy
He was a patsy like Oswald, Hinkley, Sirhan and Jame earl ray most likely
OOHHRRaaqa Gator Navy LOL I rode in the Trenton, Coronado, Ponce on one float in the carib.
So, you are a half a generation ahead of me.
USS Saipan
Omnia Facimus.
It's well within Maximum Point-Blank Range for any modern rifle cartridge: see Chuck Hawks's tabulation of MPBR at https://chuckhawks.Com/rifle_trajectory_table.htm
MPBR is the range at which a bullet from a properly zeroed rifle neither rises above nor falls below 3 inches from the line of sight. Within MPBR, the shooter can aim directly for center of mass. Trump was unbelievably lucky; so was the rest of the USA.
It is indeed and he was indeed.
How many "on the right" have repeatedly called for violence against political opponents, called to "get in their faces in the streets", called them literally Hitler and dictators?
We must tolerate no more "both sideism" on this issue. We are NOT the same.
How many cities would be burning today if that had been Barack Obama?
Not counting the Fed infiltrated, none.
CDR Sal, very, very well said. OBTW, prepare to be labeled as someone who needs to "tone it down, dial it back, this is not who we are, on and on." Ignore it, as I know you will.
Institutionally, DoD has been here multiple times before. The staggering number of leadership position officers cashiered in the early days of WWII is well documented. Fehrenbach documented what the Doolittle Commission did to the armed services after WWII, and the impact it had on the early days of the Korean conflict. We have had the object lesson before us again and again, but do not learn as an institution. We do actually track lessons learned (or claim to). Writ large, the leviathan we call the U.S. government makes no effort.
Given we reflect the society we protect, why should we? Given the current educational system position that your failure is not your fault, the (relatively) recent lack of accountability for disastrous institutional failure is consistent with the attitude of the society.
That assumes benign actions due to screwed up core values. It's been said that malice is indistinguishable from massive incompetence. As Robert Heinlein said, "Never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by incompetence. But don't rule out malice." Let's not.
Were resources redirected, reallocated (note other VIP schedules in the same time / area), is there institutional rot so deep that failure was inevitable? I'd like to say we'll find out, but, given the tendency for failed institutions to investigate themselves, not all that hopeful.
I think the "tone" of my substack is quite subdued. If anyone thinks otherwise, they are the problem, not me.
Concur 100%. People who make emotive, bad faith arguments see reality thru a different, largely tribal based lens. If you are not in the tribe, you are fair game for...criticism.
You are very subdued and so are many of use lest we get labeled as a conspiracy theorist and get a knock at the door.
Oh no sir, you are not the problem. You've always been rather rational and thoughtful.
WRT the ballistics, if as it appears the dirtbag was using a typical milspec AR (i.e., no two stage trigger or match barrel or match ammo), typical accuracy of the weapon would be 4 MOA. I.e., at 130 yards, the pattern (where the bullet may hit even if you do everything else right) is going to be a 6” diameter circle around the point of aim. Good enough for center mass shots but not headshots: milspec AR’s are simply not precision rifles.
And unless the weapon had some sort of optics (unclear from the drone video whether it did or not), trying to hit a 6” target at that distance with iron sights, on a milspec AR, with ball ammo, and most importantly UNDER STRESS, is not going to be easy for anyone who is not an experienced rifleman.
But agree 100% that SS screwed this one up royally.
A military rack grade rifle can have that poor accuracy - that's the lowest acceptable accuracy, not the typical accuracy. A typical AR-15 with typical ammo will group much better than that, IMHO. I'd be very unhappy with a frankenAR that doesn't group undere 2" at 100 meters, I'd expect closer to 1.25"
But apparently, while being surveilled by the cops (whichever agency), the shooter was interrupted by another cop climbing up the ladder: The shooter turned towards him, the cop dropped down, and the shooter then started shooting - without a stable position at that point.
After 5-6 shots, the police shot him.
Not sure why he wasn't shot when he turned towards the cop climbing the ladder: Not sure why the cops waited for 5-6 shots
SWAG- ROE were get confirmation if CS team is going to shoot first. Apparently there's an argument now going on between the team and the head of the SS detachment on ROE if they could shoot without permission.
Convenient isn’t it?
The asses have to be covered.
Again, let's walk this through:
(1) Cop was going up a ladder to the roof because there was a report of someone on the roof -- no other reason for him to do so.
(2) That report and the fact that the cop was investigating would have been made known to command -- last thing the cop on the ladder wants is to be mistaken as a threat by the sniper teams.
(3) If there was a report of someone on the roof, 100% certain one or more of the sniper teams had eyes on him.
(4) If they had eyes on him, they would have seen he had a rifle, and so it is very plausible that a sniper requested permission to engage but was refused (e.g., "let's send someone up to make sure," "don't shoot unless / until he does," etc.)
(5) the fact that the dirtbag was neutralized immediately after getting off his shots strongly suggests to me that the SS countersnipers had eyes on him and had their weapons trained on him.
Now, all of this is educated speculation that assumes the accuracy of the press reports. But if it cooks out, and SS had eyes on him but didn't take him out until after four people were shot, the SS commander who refused permission to take the shot needs to be piloried.
No one will be held accountable. Remember Waco?
After (1), Trump needs to be off the stage.
The commo needs to be checked.
- from local LEO to command post
- from CS team to CP
clearly we all think that, inside the perimeter or not, all elevated location within 500m and a line of sight should be searched, then outposted.
I know where one CS team was, where were the other three? IMHO, the shooter location was the #1 spot for team 2
Maybe the ROE was such that the CS team could not shoot, but then why even have them, if the Shooter gets a freebee
Why, if the CS had him under observation, was there no warning to the podium? GUN!
How did he get off rounds 2 to N?
And, if they had eyes on him when the officer was on his way up the ladder (e.g., "don't engage; we'll send someone up to check first"), then they also would have seen him level his rifle at the cop. (This assumes, of course, the accuracy of the press report that the dirtbag did so and the cop ducked down).
If that's the case, and the CS teams saw him level a rifle at a LE officer, someone should have taken the shot at that point. Comms recordings will make for interesting listening, although I daresay SS will do its best to hide them if SS Command was refusing permission to shoot.
If only they had 60 years of experience in working out these issues and developing RoE that would prevent this kind of confusion
They can debate that, what's not debatable is why they didn't raise the alarm and spoil the shot.
Also, the wind does not care where you aim, it will push the bullet anyway.
I think the kid was aiming center thorax and pulled it,
Maybe. One round apparently hit his right side chest, almost missing, but the vest stopped it.
That would suggest he had the ceramic plates rather than kevlar.
By now I would expect the ceramics fitted to presidents.
UHMWPE (a/k/a polyethelene armor) is rifle rated (up to 7.62 NATO ball) and a lot lighter and cooler than ceramic plates + kevlar. My understanding is that UHMWPE is what they have high-value protectees like PDT wear.
Good!
I am retired and out of that line since 2009.
UHMWPE armor is cool stuff. It even floats!
It degrades a lot faster than kevlar or ceramic, and it won't stop steel-core stuff. But I've seen a demo where they emptied a full mag of 7.62x39 into a dummy-wearing vest at point blank range. None of it got through the vest.
saw elsewhere that might have something on one of the agents suits, almost same but slightly darker color. It did look like a hole, but maybe too big for 556 also
Well, this also needs to include the fact that the would-be assassin's aim would have been dead on and successful despite the wind and the ammo type had Pres. Trump not gone off script, turned away from his teleprompters at the last minute and turned his head to look at the graphics they just put up on the jumbotron. That literal last second slight shift in the very angle of his head saved him from dying exactly like Mr. Comperatore. And it would have been captured on HDTV quality video for America to have to watch live over and over to the everlasting delight of the people who will not rest until he is gone. The man has a wife, children and young grandchildren who would have had to view that forever, and not in some grainy blurry Zapruder film, but on HDTV, the internet and made into cruel memes for all time to come. Such is the nature of those who know nothing but hatred for the good, the true and the beautiful. Makes me sick.
That was precisely their plan.
Fortunately, we live in an age where nearly everyone is Zapruder. How many cameras were aimed at Trump the other day? How many other cameras spanned the rest of the landscape? It's tough to cover up so much random, audiovisual truthiness in this age of ubiquitous digital recording. USMC General Zinni used to discuss the idea of the "strategic corporal" in an era of comprehensive news coverage, and how the rules of conduct have changed with the growth of surveillance. Moving forward, the "story" must marry-up with actual evidence, of which there now is much.
You underestimate the mendacity of the MSM when it comes to covering up empirical evidence. Remember "mostly peaceful protestors" as the city block was burning? This entire incident will be thrown down the memory hole as soon as possible.
My read, despite Sal's excellent ballistic analysis, is that the head turn is what saved him.
Too close. We as a nation, were spared and I've gotta see the Divine in this. Trump's assassination likely woulda been the last straw for a LOT of people; people who heretofore have been quite restrained.
Only leftist get to riot out of frustration and get a pass from the FBI.
When they start with their "both sides need to calm down" and "there are all kinds of extremists" rhetoric, only one question needs to really be answered honestly, and perhaps attitudes adjusted privately in response.
Had that been Barack Obama, how many cities would be in flames today?
Some candidates are more equal than others.
J6 and the FBI is still hunting you down.
Burn, Loot and Murder - no big deal.
and our corporate media and anti-Trump political corporations (DNC and RNC) have guaranteed there are 100's of others just like him out there to be activated, maybe triggered in a better word, in the coming months and years
An additional note on the ballistics (entirely my speculative musings based on knowledge of AR-15 / M16 ballistics): It is entirely possible that the shooter actually was not aiming at the head at all but near center mass. If an M16 is sighted in for the standard 300m battlesight zero (which places point of impact on the line of site (actual line of aim seen through the sights) at 300m, then the actual travel of the bullet starts approximately 3.5 inches below the line of site at the muzzle, and climbs to a maximum of approximately 8.5 inches above the line of site at about 175m. In other words, if the rifle was zeroed according to typical infantry practice, the actual placement of the shot would be consistent with aiming at the upper chest.
Unless it was a 100m zero being taught now.
what happened to the 25/200 zero?
Spec ops is and has been using the 100m for the ACoG.
USMC was 36/300 and has moved to 100m I was told.
https://www.gunsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/BATTLESIGHT-ZERO-UPDATED-NOV-2013-RWS.pdf
Cool article, thank you for that. I was of course relating the information from the zero practice I was familiar with of course (300m zero) from infantry experience in the Army.
Edit: I am fairly certain that the army infantry practice is primarily based on maximizing the range at which effective suppressive fire can be delivered.
Yes. The Battle Zero vs the true zero. Designed to get a hit at POA of 300m as bullet drops still a hit. Minimizes the variables such as stress, cheek weld, fire position etc.
https://www.lejeune.marines.mil/Portals/27/Documents/WTBN/S3/Supporting%20Documents/WTBN%20Service%20Rifle%20Zero%20Book.pdf?ver=m0ZndlmBmSp9AsSx7-FfYg%3d%3d
Thank you. Words are not at the ready given the last 3 weeks. Though one thread continues to run throughout the state we find ourselves in and that’s the lost pride & professionalism throughout our institutions.
We all have seen this with the state of readiness & incompetence at fielding capabilities and scaling for required capacity. For as bad as things have gotten within the political cadre in the NatSec space it’s far worse in all other institutions. They already had poor fitness when at least we installed competent leadership but we have had a couple decades of the worst of us hollowing out these institutions.
Gold Bless President Trump
God save America
He probably did Saturday; let's hope he can keep it up indefinitely.
Divine providence. Not the first time and prayerfully will not be the last.
https://www.americanheritage.com/man-who-didnt-shoot-washington
"There remained the possibility of taking the enemy leader and his companion captive. Stepping from his place of concealment, Ferguson called to the hussar officer, who was the nearer to him, and signaled him to dismount. The only response was an excited cry of warning to the rider in the remarkable large cocked hat, who promptly wheeled his charger and made for the further edge of the clearing.
“As I was within that distance,” Ferguson subsequently recorded, “at which, in the quickest firing, I could have lodged halt a dozen of balls in or about him before he was out of my reach, I had only to determine; but it was not pleasant to fire at the back of an unoffending individual who was acquitting himself coolly of his duty, and so I let him alone.”"
Washington and, possibly, Lafayette. Providence my friend.
That was spot on, and excellent, sir.
Trump must fire his detail and hire private security. It must be presumed at this point the entire secret service is compromised. There are simply too many coincidences and failures in this tragedy. Divine intervention is the only thing that stands between us and a full blown socio-political disaster and CW.
Supposedly this wasn't his normal detail.
I did see two men who are always with him everywhere he goes. They were there Saturday.
It wasn’t his normal detail. His SAIC was there. Maybe one more. The lady midgets weren’t from his detail.
MRT's Haircut: "lady midgets" gets you two demerit points and a half-day of microaggression sensitivity training. Off you go. Class starts in five minutes.
Speaking as a lady midget, I'm writing MTH's excuse note. No need to attend class.
Thank you Sista!
Pain!!
I don’t feel tardy!…
Butler is my Hometown. I was at the Rally on Saturday. There's a lot more to this than meets the eye. The State Police were denied overtime to work at the rally. This cut down on the available manpower. I've heard a rumor that the "manufacturing company" denied permission for the Secret Service to be on the rooftop that the shooter was on. There's several other "oddities" as well. Here's one question that I have. Less than 24 hours, the gunman was identified, the political party that he was registered under was identified and that he had made a $15 donation to a political group was known. The shooting took place around 6:20 PM on a Saturday. The information was made public on a SUNDAY afternoon. How was that information obtained? Who leaked it to the media? If the shooter was a Democrat, would we have found out as quickly?
Rumor has it he registered as a Republican to vote in primaries to mess with closed primaries. I know for a fact he made a contribution to the democrats on 1/20/21 and his mother is a registered Democrat and his father is a registered Independent.
That's common in PA. Remember the 2022 election where Democrat PAC's were running ads for Dr. Oz?
The company allowed the police to station snipers there. The police put three snipers inside the building looking out through the windows for any threats. It apparently was inconceivable that anyone would climb on the roof of the building with the police snipers, so they took no steps to prevent anyone from climbing on the roof of the building.
As I said "rumors". Thanks for clearing that up.
Shocked at lack of common sense protection. No shielding protection at/around podium. No bulletproof shields to surround potus during evac.
There were a couple. Security Theater. And the bulletproof shields were bodies of the agents.
They need taller shields
I was near presidential security at an air base visit 40 odd years ago.
They were prepared for snipers, and had high points covered.
Huge SSfail.