USSS assistant director asked to retire over Butler assassination attempt on Trump
A high-ranking leader within the United States Secret Service (USSS) has been asked to retire, Fox News Digital has learned.
Michael Plati, the office of protective operations assistant director, has been asked to retire from his position, and he is ending his tenure with the service in the coming days.
The decision is reportedly linked with the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania — a security failure that has sent shock waves through all levels of the agency.
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The USSS is preparing to brief Congress in the coming days about lessons learned from the July 13 attempt on Trump’s life.
Plati was asked to step down by senior leadership, including Acting Director Ronald Rowe.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the USSS for comment and is awaiting its response.
An agent who asked to remain anonymous was not happy about Plati’s retirement. “Mike Plati is known for his integrity and honesty, qualities that are especially commendable at his level of leadership within the Secret Service,” the agent told Fox News.
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USSS Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned under mounting pressure on July 23 following the assassination attempt on the former president, Fox News confirmed.
The Department of Defense (DOD) has since offered the USSS “additional assistance” in protecting political figures that require personal security.
Anthony Guglielmi, U.S. Secret Service chief of communications, announced last month that the DOD will provide “additional assistance including logistics, transportation, and communications, through the 2024 campaign season.”
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