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Whistleblower reveals why Trump rally officer assigned to shooter’s perch moved

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Whistleblower reveals why Trump rally officer assigned to shooter’s perch moved

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Whistleblowers have told Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley that a law enforcement officer who was assigned to monitor the roof of a building that would-be former President Trump assassin Thomas Crooks fired from on July 13 left their post because it was “too hot.”

Crooks, 20, fired multiple rounds from the roof of American Glass Research (AGR) Building 6, which was outside the rally perimeter but had a direct line of sight to where the former president was standing on stage at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

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“This comes from a whistleblower with direct knowledge of the Secret Service plan and setup that day,” Hawley said. “And what this whistleblower tells my office is that there was at least one law enforcement person assigned to the roof itself. In other words, the plan called for a law enforcement individual to be on the roof at all times during the rally. And that did not happen. And what the whistleblower tells me is the law enforcement individual who was assigned to that roof abandoned it.”

Butler’s temperature reached a high of 92 degrees on July 13, and prior to the assassination attempt, emergency personnel at the rally were mostly focused on attending to people suffering from heat-related illnesses.

TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AFTER SECRET SERVICE FAILURES PROMPTS CALLS FOR DRASTIC AGENT RECRUITMENT CHANGES

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., says a whistleblower told him law enforcement personnel were assigned to cover the roof of the building Thomas Crooks fired from at a former President Trump rally on July 13, but they left because it was “too hot” that day. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Hawley, who visited the rally site on Friday, noted that the AGR building in question was about 150 yards or fewer from the main stage of Trump’s rally.

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TRUMP SHOOTING: TIMELINE OF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

While Congress has confirmed that Crooks purchased a ladder at Home Depot prior to the rally shooting that left 50-year-old firefighter and father Corey Comperatore dead and two others — 57-year-old David Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver — critically wounded, he could have accessed the roof of the AGR building without a ladder. Lawmakers who visited the site on Monday were able to reach the roof without a ladder.

“…He or she was too hot and just thought it was unnecessary to be out there.”

— Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.

The same whistleblower told Hawley that multiple law enforcement personnel were also assigned to patrol the perimeter of the building “to make sure that somebody couldn’t just jump up” onto the roof, possibly from one of the air-conditioning units jutting out from the windows of the building, the senator said.

The Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, site of a campaign rally for former President Trump, is seen on July 15. Trump was wounded on July 13 during an assassination attempt while speaking at the rally. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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The roofs at the Butler Fair Ground in Pennsylvania, where a group of bipartisan lawmakers visited on Monday. (Fox News Digital)

“All of these whistleblowers who’ve now come forward to my office, saying things like: law enforcement was assigned to be on the roof, and they weren’t. They were assigned to be patrolling the perimeter of that building, and they weren’t. They were supposed to be communicating over a common radio frequency, and they weren’t,” Hawley said. “I have to say, none of that surprises me because it is just astounding with those kind of failures and errors that this 20-year-old was able to get up on in plain view of everybody onto that low-slung roof and take multiple shots at the [former] president.”

AIR FORCE VETERAN AT TRUMP RALLY SAYS ‘SOMETHING WASN’T RIGHT’ BEFORE WOULD-BE ASSASSIN OPENED FIRE

Approximately one hour passed between the time law enforcement officials first identified a suspicious person near the rally grounds and the time Crooks fired. Officials temporarily lost sight of the suspicious person, but then around 5:52 p.m., a sniper “had eyes on him,” which was about 20 minutes before the gunfire rang out, Hawley said, citing a briefing he attended with former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle last week.

The whistleblower also told Hawley that the Secret Service had delegated the AGR building and the roof to local or state law enforcement but noted that both local and federal officials have been pushing blame onto one another.

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PENNSYLVANIA OFFICERS NOT ALLOWED IN SECRET SERVICE COMMAND CENTER AT TRUMP RALLY, LAWMAKERS SAY ON SITE

“There’s a lot of effort on the part of both Secret Service, on the one hand, and DHS on the other hand, and then also state and local law enforcement to push the responsibility off onto each other. So this is just why we need to get these facts into the open. We need to have real and substantive hearings, not like the one [on Monday] where the former Secret Service director wouldn’t even respond to questions. What a farce that was,” Hawley said.

Thomas Crooks seen at the Trump rally on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Sen. Ron Johnson)

His comments came the same day Cheatle resigned from her position on Tuesday morning.

“To the Men and Women of the U.S. Secret Service, The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders and financial infrastructure,” Cheatle wrote in a letter to the agency obtained by Fox News. “On July 13th, we fell short on that mission.”

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TRUMP SHOOTING SITE GIVES BIRDS-EYE VIEW OF ‘DISORGANIZED’ RALLY SCENE, WITNESSES SAY

Cheatle said that the “scrutiny” over the last week “has been intense and will continue to remain as our operational tempo increases.” 

WATCH: EYEWITNESS SHARES NEW FOOTAGE OF TRUMP SHOOTING

“As your Director, I take full responsibility for the security lapse,” she wrote.

Now, Hawley is calling for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to resign, as well.

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Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., left, is calling for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to resign in light of the assassination attempt against former President Trump. (Getty Images)

“Alejandro Mayorkas needs to resign. He’s the head of DHS. All of this is in his purview — Secret Service, the DHS personnel,” the Missouri senator said. “Another whistleblower tells me that most of the federal security there that day were not Secret Service. Most of them were DHS personnel who had just been detailed over to this event for the day. And they were largely not prepared, not read into the security plan, and were not executing their duties according to what the plan called for.”

TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA TOWN MANAGER DEFENDS POLICE AMID RESPONSE ‘MISCONCEPTION’

Hawley suggested the DHS is overwhelmed under Mayorkas’ leadership of the agency. 

A DHS spokesperson said the agency “cannot comment on matters related to an ongoing investigation. We, of course, are committed to working with the appropriate and relevant investigations of what happened on Saturday, including with Congress, the Inspector General, and both internal and independent reviews.”

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The Secret Service did not respond to an inquiry from Fox News Digital regarding Hawley’s comments.

“The Department of Homeland Security is in total crisis.”

— Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.

“I think the fact that you have so many of these DHS security folks, a lot of them are designated as investigators — DHS investigators — whose jobs are actually to be out in on the ground in the continental United States, searching for illegals, looking for crime. So many of them have been sent to the southern border. So there aren’t that many of them available to begin with. And then you’re pulling people off of other responsibilities and sending them to this rally. They’re not adequately briefed. They’re not trained to do that,” Hawley said. 

Mayorkas on Sunday announced that he has tapped a bipartisan panel of law enforcement experts to conduct a 45-day independent review of the assassination attempt.

“The men and women of the U.S. Secret Service make it the greatest protective service in the world, with one of the most solemn and difficult missions in government,” the DHS secretary said. “This independent review will make the organization even better.”

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Hawley’s office continues to communicate with whistleblowers about the Trump rally shooting and what went wrong in order for Crooks to gain access to the AGR building rooftop that evening with an AR-15.

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Pittsburg, PA

Oneil Cruz Powers Pirates Past Astros

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Oneil Cruz Powers Pirates Past Astros


PITTSBURGH — Oneil Cruz needs to have a great season for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2026 and his strong Spring Training continued in their most recent victory.

Cruz hit a three-run home run off of Houston Astros right-handed pitcher Jayden Murray in the top of the fifth inning, playing a big role in the 5-2 victory at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla.

He waited on a changeup on the second pitch, 85.1 mph over the middle of the plate and sent it 106.4 mph off the bat and 368 feet, scoring both left fielder Billy Cook and third baseman Alika Williams with two outs.

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That marks the first home run for Cruz in the Grapefruit League, who has had a great Spring Training so far, slashing .538/.600/.846 for an OPS of 1.446 in five games, with seven hits in 13 at-bats.

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Pittsburgh got the win after the top of the sixth inning, after a rain delay ended the game.

Pirates Rookie Pitchers Have Up-And-Down Showing vs. Astros

Right-handed pitcher Braxton Ashcraft made his second start for the Pirates in the Grapefruit League and dominated vs. the Astros.

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Sep 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft (67) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Ashcraft threw three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and a walk, while posting two strikeouts for Pittsburgh.

Former Pirates pitcher, right-handed starter Mike Burrows, countered Ashcraft for the Astros. He threw three scoreless innings himself, allowed one hit and a walk and posted four strikeouts.

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The Pirates traded Burrows to the Houston Astros in the three-team trade with the Tampa Bay Rays on Dec. 19, that landed them second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed relief pitcher Mason Montgomery.

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Right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler made his second appearance for the Pirates in the Grapefruit League and threw two innings.

Chandler immediately loaded the bases, walking both third baseman Carlos Correa and first baseman Christian Walker, then giving up a single to center fielder Cam Smith.

He came back and struckout right fielder Taylor Trammell and got left fielder Zach Dezenzo to pop out, but gave up a single to second baseman Brice Matthews and a run to the Astros, before ending the inning with a strikeout.

Chandler also gave up a solo home run to Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes, on a slider down in the zone.

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He finished his outing with three hits, three walks and two earned runs allowed over 1.1 innings pitched, before left-handed pitcher Derek Diamond got the last two outs of the inning.

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Chandler struggled in his first Spring Training start vs. the New York Yankees at LECOM Park in Bradenton on Feb. 23, where he allowed four earned runs over 1.2 innings of work.

Feb 23, 2026; Bradenton, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bubba Chandler (36) throws a pitch during the second inning against the New York Yankees at LECOM Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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The Pirates will need better showings from Chandler, who should serve as a key piece of their starting rotation in 2026.

Other Important Notes from Pirates Victory

The Pirates added two runs in the top of the sixth inning, as Cook hit a single that scored second baseman Nick Yorke and then Williams singled, scoring Cook to make it a 5-2 ball game.

Cook had just one hit in eight at-bats coming into this game and scored twice in the victory, as he walked before the Cruz home run.

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Designated hitter Marcell Ozuna led the Pirates with two hits, a good sign for them, as they’ll rely on him greatly for his power and hitting in 2026.

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The Pirates are now 7-2 in the Grapefruit League and tied with the Yankees for the top of the standings.

Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates!



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Connecticut

Pedestrian killed after being struck by Amtrak train

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Pedestrian killed after being struck by Amtrak train


An investigation is ongoing in Stonington after a person was fatally struck by an Amtrak train Saturday morning, according to Stonington police.

Police were notified around 11:25 a.m. by Amtrak police that a pedestrian was struck by a train between the Route 1 overpass and the Prospect Street and Palmer Street railroad crossing.

When crews arrived, they pronounced the victim dead at the scene.

The train involved is stopped while Amtrak police conduct their investigation and ask the public to avoid the area at this time.

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Authorities say there is no threat to the public.

No further details were released.



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Maine

Northern Maine Med Center RNs reaffirm care for community

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Northern Maine Med Center RNs reaffirm care for community


Despite retaliation from their employer, nurses affirm their commitment to their patients and their union

Over two years since Northern Maine Medical Center (NMMC) first formed their union and began bargaining in good faith for a first contract, nurses remain committed to the patients they serve, and to making their hospital the best place it can be for everyone. Union nurses at NMMC signed the letter they released today, which says in part:

“Over the past two years, you have no doubt heard about the conflict that has grown between the hospital and us.

We want you to know that we never asked for this fight. The initiative to organize our union was to protect ourselves and our patients, not to punish any individuals or the hospital as a whole.”

The nurses’ letter goes on to say that their immediate goals as a union include: winning safe staffing for nurses and patients, promoting transparency and accountability at NMMC, retaining our local providers and staff, and making their hospital sustainable for the long term.

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Terry Caron, RN and member of the nurses’ bargaining team said: “Two years ago, we decided to have a voice for ourselves and our patients by forming our union. The NMMC administration could have met us halfway, but it did not. It has only fought us and tried to punish us for speaking up. But we are as committed to our goals as ever. We will never stop fighting for our patients.”

NMMC nurses were joined today by Maine Senate President Mattie Daughtry, gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson, and U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner. They echoed the nurses’ call for NMMC CEO Jeff Zewe to stop his retaliation against the nurses and to finalize the union contract for which the nurses have been bargaining for most of the past two years. 


Maine State Nurses Association is part of National Nurses Organizing Committee, representing 4,000 nurses and other caregivers from Portland to Fort Kent. NNOC is an affiliate of National Nurses United, the largest and fastest-growing labor union of registered nurses in the United States with nearly 225,000 members nationwide.



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