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Charlie Kirk Today | Susan Crabtree: April 28, 2026 | Charlie Kirk Today | April 28, 2026
- I was, actually at the white house correspondents
- 00:00:09.065 --> 00:00:11.367
- Dinner, as many of you, probably know by now.
- 00:00:11.367 --> 00:00:14.237
- I didn't say much about it before the event.
- 00:00:14.237 --> 00:00:16.473
- I was honored to be invited by a few different outlets,
- 00:00:16.473 --> 00:00:19.576
- Went, and, sit next to harmeet dhillon,
- 00:00:19.576 --> 00:00:24.047
- And, the night was going along.
- 00:00:24.781 --> 00:00:28.284
- It was great having a good time meeting a lot of old friends
- 00:00:28.284 --> 00:00:31.154
- In high to new ones.
- 00:00:31.154 --> 00:00:32.388
- And, and then,
- 00:00:32.388 --> 00:00:34.791
- You know, while we're sitting there
- 00:00:34.791 --> 00:00:36.759
- Waiting for the food to get served.
- 00:00:36.759 --> 00:00:38.528
- President trump, jd vance, and others on the dais
- 00:00:38.528 --> 00:00:42.132
- On the stage.
- 00:00:42.132 --> 00:00:44.067
- All of a sudden, you start seeing
- 00:00:44.067 --> 00:00:45.768
- Everybody ducked for cover.
- 00:00:45.768 --> 00:00:47.770
- Did you hear anything?
- 00:00:47.770 --> 00:00:49.072
- I heard essentially what i you know, i thought somebody
- 00:00:49.072 --> 00:00:52.342
- Was kind of going like that, like i that was i.
- 00:00:52.342 --> 00:00:55.778
- I clocked something in the back of my mind as,
- 00:00:55.778 --> 00:00:59.115
- You know, maybe a trifle or.
- 00:00:59.716 --> 00:01:01.518
- But i actually thought, you know, somebody.
- 00:01:01.518 --> 00:01:03.386
- Was it because it was such a raucous, cacophonous room.
- 00:01:03.386 --> 00:01:06.689
- And i will
- 00:01:06.990 --> 00:01:08.124
- I will just say, you know, there's been a lot of talk
- 00:01:08.124 --> 00:01:09.459
- About the security in that room.
- 00:01:09.459 --> 00:01:11.361
- But for me, it was like when we were in there,
- 00:01:11.361 --> 00:01:14.130
- You couldn't navigate.
- 00:01:14.130 --> 00:01:15.532
- The tables were so close together
- 00:01:15.532 --> 00:01:17.700
- That if people were sitting in the chairs, there was
- 00:01:17.700 --> 00:01:20.203
- No room to navigate in between.
- 00:01:20.203 --> 00:01:22.572
- And, so it was, i mean,
- 00:01:22.572 --> 00:01:25.608
- God forbid that place would've had a fire.
- 00:01:25.608 --> 00:01:28.444
- People would not have gotten out, guaranteed.
- 00:01:28.444 --> 00:01:30.580
- I mean, it was, total fire hazard.
- 00:01:30.580 --> 00:01:32.549
- I will say
- 00:01:32.549 --> 00:01:33.650
- That does sound like something trump might do there.
- 00:01:33.650 --> 00:01:35.385
- Like the president has gotten to fall is like, no,
- 00:01:35.385 --> 00:01:38.154
- Make the event bigger than no.
- 00:01:38.154 --> 00:01:39.622
- I mean, i don't know who made
- 00:01:39.622 --> 00:01:40.690
- That kind of decision, but it was it it was a tight
- 00:01:40.690 --> 00:01:42.458
- It was a tight squeeze.
- 00:01:42.458 --> 00:01:43.593
- So essentially you heard this noise.
- 00:01:43.593 --> 00:01:46.329
- But again,
- 00:01:46.329 --> 00:01:48.331
- You kind of just assume there was a lot going on.
- 00:01:48.331 --> 00:01:50.033
- Somebody dropped something or whatever.
- 00:01:50.033 --> 00:01:51.901
- And then little by little, starting
- 00:01:51.901 --> 00:01:53.836
- In the back of the room, you saw people ducking
- 00:01:53.836 --> 00:01:56.606
- Underneath their tables.
- 00:01:56.606 --> 00:01:58.942
- And so sure enough, we dove underneath our table
- 00:01:58.942 --> 00:02:03.346
- And you could see the thing that, well,
- 00:02:03.346 --> 00:02:05.848
- I will never forget was the urgency.
- 00:02:05.848 --> 00:02:08.885
- This, i would call it like a violent urgency
- 00:02:08.885 --> 00:02:11.688
- Of the secret service
- 00:02:12.188 --> 00:02:13.523
- As everybody dives under the table,
- 00:02:13.523 --> 00:02:15.158
- Because you could hear them yelling
- 00:02:15.158 --> 00:02:16.693
- And you could see them running.
- 00:02:16.693 --> 00:02:17.927
- And there was like, they were throwing chairs
- 00:02:17.927 --> 00:02:19.529
- To get them out of the way.
- 00:02:19.529 --> 00:02:20.730
- And you're like, whoa, something, something is up.
- 00:02:20.730 --> 00:02:23.800
- And so everybody just starts.
- 00:02:23.800 --> 00:02:25.301
- We dive under the table.
- 00:02:25.301 --> 00:02:27.237
- We're there again.
- 00:02:27.670 --> 00:02:28.838
- Time was sort of a blur,
- 00:02:28.838 --> 00:02:29.772
- But i would assume
- 00:02:29.772 --> 00:02:30.807
- Maybe 3 to 5 minutes under the table under the,
- 00:02:30.807 --> 00:02:34.277
- You know, and you kind of i'm peeking out.
- 00:02:34.277 --> 00:02:35.912
- I'm i'm trying to see if if the coast is clear,
- 00:02:35.912 --> 00:02:39.215
- Then it becomes, did president trump
- 00:02:39.215 --> 00:02:41.651
- Get shot because i'm look, i kind of look.
- 00:02:41.651 --> 00:02:44.721
- And it was probably a lot harder for you guys to tell.
- 00:02:44.721 --> 00:02:46.623
- No, we had no idea what happened
- 00:02:46.623 --> 00:02:48.291
- Because i look up, they're all gone off the stage
- 00:02:48.291 --> 00:02:52.095
- And you see, you know, tactical outed,
- 00:02:52.095 --> 00:02:55.431
- Outfitted secret service on the stage and you see them
- 00:02:55.431 --> 00:02:59.402
- Marching down the middle and you see them.
- 00:02:59.402 --> 00:03:01.604
- And by the way, so i was so close up to i was,
- 00:03:01.604 --> 00:03:04.140
- If i was essentially house left, stage right,
- 00:03:04.140 --> 00:03:06.943
- A couple rows back from the stage
- 00:03:06.943 --> 00:03:08.945
- And the secret service
- 00:03:08.945 --> 00:03:11.247
- Came right by our table and walked on our chairs.
- 00:03:11.247 --> 00:03:15.251
- So a secret service
- 00:03:15.251 --> 00:03:16.319
- Put his boot on the chair i was just sitting on
- 00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:18.421
- As they were navigating in the room.
- 00:03:18.421 --> 00:03:20.790
- Our meet head was kind of kind of poked up a little bit.
- 00:03:20.790 --> 00:03:24.560
- She got stepped on.
- 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:26.562
- Yeah.
- 00:03:26.562 --> 00:03:27.363
- Like i mean, it's it's poor thing.
- 00:03:27.363 --> 00:03:28.698
- I actually
- 00:03:28.698 --> 00:03:29.799
- She had a welt on her head from getting stepped on.
- 00:03:29.799 --> 00:03:31.834
- I mean, at this in theory could be
- 00:03:31.834 --> 00:03:33.136
- The next attorney general of the united states.
- 00:03:33.136 --> 00:03:35.872
- She got stepped on by a secret service
- 00:03:35.872 --> 00:03:37.707
- That were working with such urgency,
- 00:03:37.707 --> 00:03:39.409
- And they obviously had no idea who was at what table.
- 00:03:39.409 --> 00:03:42.578
- So eventually everything kind of calms down.
- 00:03:43.479 --> 00:03:45.948
- I get up, everybody starts kind of rising.
- 00:03:45.948 --> 00:03:49.152
- I see philip wegmann, who's with the wall street journal.
- 00:03:49.152 --> 00:03:51.387
- I said, phil, did they get like, is the president okay?
- 00:03:51.387 --> 00:03:54.090
- Because at this point i'm like, did you did
- 00:03:54.090 --> 00:03:55.792
- There was a shot that came.
- 00:03:55.792 --> 00:03:57.060
- There's no deception in that room
- 00:03:57.060 --> 00:03:58.695
- Because it's, there was no reception.
- 00:03:58.695 --> 00:04:00.330
- Nobody can make phone calls.
- 00:04:00.330 --> 00:04:02.298
- So i asked phil,
- 00:04:02.298 --> 00:04:03.499
- I said, you know, did they get the president?
- 00:04:03.499 --> 00:04:05.134
- Is jd okay?
- 00:04:05.134 --> 00:04:06.402
- Because in theory, i'm thinking, did a shot
- 00:04:06.402 --> 00:04:08.905
- Come from the back of the room?
- 00:04:08.905 --> 00:04:10.073
- And i just didn't hear it and it got president trump.
- 00:04:10.073 --> 00:04:13.443
- Well, phil says that they they had actually got
- 00:04:13.443 --> 00:04:16.546
- He watched him get off the table.
- 00:04:16.546 --> 00:04:18.247
- Next thing i know brian is off the stage.
- 00:04:18.247 --> 00:04:20.183
- So he was okay. jd he said i didn't see jd.
- 00:04:20.183 --> 00:04:22.852
- Next thing i know,
- 00:04:22.852 --> 00:04:23.986
- Brian stelter of cnn is up on the stage with assault,
- 00:04:23.986 --> 00:04:27.023
- Like doing a selfie video.
- 00:04:27.023 --> 00:04:28.458
- Like, i don't know if it was,
- 00:04:28.458 --> 00:04:30.560
- You know, and it's a roomful of journalists.
- 00:04:30.560 --> 00:04:32.862
- And so they're all
- 00:04:32.862 --> 00:04:33.930
- Got their cameras out doing like live reporting.
- 00:04:33.930 --> 00:04:36.566
- I think just to record the videos
- 00:04:36.566 --> 00:04:38.901
- Anyway, enjoying the split between journalists who
- 00:04:38.901 --> 00:04:41.704
- Filmed events around them and the ones taking
- 00:04:41.704 --> 00:04:44.640
- Selfie videos of themselves.
- 00:04:44.640 --> 00:04:46.109
- So i instantly run over.
- 00:04:46.109 --> 00:04:47.844
- I was about ten tables away,
- 00:04:47.844 --> 00:04:49.779
- 12 tables away from where erica was seated.
- 00:04:49.779 --> 00:04:52.181
- I ran over there as quickly as i could
- 00:04:52.181 --> 00:04:54.150
- Because it was so crammed and jammed.
- 00:04:54.150 --> 00:04:55.852
- I could only make it over there so quickly.
- 00:04:55.852 --> 00:04:58.321
- And, she had already been ushered out.
- 00:04:58.321 --> 00:05:00.757
- I ran into harris faulkner and i ran into,
- 00:05:00.757 --> 00:05:04.761
- Martha maccallum.
- 00:05:04.761 --> 00:05:05.962
- And they said that they had seen erica get ushered out.
- 00:05:05.962 --> 00:05:08.431
- She was okay.
- 00:05:08.431 --> 00:05:09.766
- Harrison, erica, i believe.
- 00:05:09.766 --> 00:05:11.868
- Yes, sir.
- 00:05:11.868 --> 00:05:12.502
- We're under the same table
- 00:05:12.502 --> 00:05:13.569
- Praying when it was all happening, it.
- 00:05:13.569 --> 00:05:16.406
- I mean, it was a terrifying moment.
- 00:05:16.406 --> 00:05:18.274
- You know, everybody, i got a number of,
- 00:05:18.274 --> 00:05:21.110
- Texts and calls.
- 00:05:21.511 --> 00:05:23.012
- Are you okay?
- 00:05:23.012 --> 00:05:23.913
- So called right away.
- 00:05:23.913 --> 00:05:24.781
- Tyler boyer called right away.
- 00:05:24.781 --> 00:05:26.582
- And i just, you know, my phone was blown up.
- 00:05:26.582 --> 00:05:28.918
- But, you know, here's the thing.
- 00:05:28.918 --> 00:05:30.019
- I'm okay.
- 00:05:30.019 --> 00:05:31.788
- My concern in the moment was just for erica, for mikey.
- 00:05:31.788 --> 00:05:36.225
- Others, you know, and,
- 00:05:36.225 --> 00:05:39.028
- You know, just to see the way that the reaction
- 00:05:39.028 --> 00:05:41.631
- Has been from this moment,
- 00:05:41.631 --> 00:05:43.132
- We're going to get into the details.
- 00:05:43.132 --> 00:05:44.300
- Were going to get into the secret service, the perimeter.
- 00:05:44.300 --> 00:05:46.002
- We have susan crabtree joining us next.
- 00:05:46.002 --> 00:05:48.204
- We've got a great show in store for you, but
- 00:05:48.204 --> 00:05:51.073
- My reaction is this, that,
- 00:05:51.073 --> 00:05:53.142
- As shock and horror that people are alleging that
- 00:05:53.142 --> 00:05:56.813
- Erica's reaction was somehow,
- 00:05:56.813 --> 00:05:58.614
- You know, performative up, yours, up.
- 00:05:58.614 --> 00:06:00.950
- You're those people. that's disgusting.
- 00:06:00.950 --> 00:06:02.585
- Secondly, that this was staged to get sympathy for trump
- 00:06:02.585 --> 00:06:05.588
- Or even for erica or a turning point up yours.
- 00:06:05.588 --> 00:06:08.090
- This is true. you. this is actually a good test.
- 00:06:08.090 --> 00:06:10.326
- Like if you are a person where it is reasonable to you
- 00:06:10.326 --> 00:06:15.164
- That assassination attempts are faked, are staged, just
- 00:06:15.164 --> 00:06:19.869
- Stop opining on public events
- 00:06:20.503 --> 00:06:23.005
- Because your brain is too cooked by television,
- 00:06:23.005 --> 00:06:26.809
- By movies, by memes you read on the internet
- 00:06:26.809 --> 00:06:29.345
- To think rationally about things.
- 00:06:29.345 --> 00:06:30.880
- Listen. period.
- 00:06:30.880 --> 00:06:31.681
- Yeah, i understand covid.
- 00:06:31.681 --> 00:06:34.183
- That was a whole like up i get it.
- 00:06:34.183 --> 00:06:36.385
- I the the russia hoax up i get.
- 00:06:36.385 --> 00:06:39.155
- There's reasons to be distrustful
- 00:06:39.155 --> 00:06:40.756
- And to hold elected leaders feet to the fire.
- 00:06:40.756 --> 00:06:43.159
- I'm all i'm all on board with that.
- 00:06:43.159 --> 00:06:45.228
- But for real,
- 00:06:45.228 --> 00:06:46.596
- If you are going to assume
- 00:06:46.596 --> 00:06:47.997
- That everything is the freaking jews
- 00:06:47.997 --> 00:06:50.032
- Or everything is some staged five d chess move
- 00:06:50.032 --> 00:06:53.102
- And that leftists
- 00:06:53.102 --> 00:06:54.136
- Don't want you dead, i've got about 48 minutes
- 00:06:54.136 --> 00:06:56.939
- Of clips loaded up today to prove you wrong,
- 00:06:56.939 --> 00:06:59.976
- To prove that you are missing the big e on the i chart.
- 00:06:59.976 --> 00:07:03.446
- And i said it before, but i'll say it again.
- 00:07:03.446 --> 00:07:05.081
- When charlie was with us, he was not afraid of the jews.
- 00:07:05.081 --> 00:07:08.918
- He was afraid of purple hair jihadis that wanted him dead.
- 00:07:08.918 --> 00:07:11.854
- He was afraid of trannies.
- 00:07:11.854 --> 00:07:13.356
- He was afraid of wild, violent assassination culture
- 00:07:13.356 --> 00:07:17.527
- That's running amok on the left.
- 00:07:17.527 --> 00:07:19.762
- And if you can't get it through your freaking head yet,
- 00:07:19.762 --> 00:07:22.365
- I have nothing for you. to blake's point.
- 00:07:22.365 --> 00:07:24.700
- Get off the internet. you are cooked.
- 00:07:24.700 --> 00:07:26.903
- Your brain is toast.
- 00:07:26.903 --> 00:07:29.205
- Wake up!
- 00:07:29.472 --> 00:07:31.507
- We have put up with deranged leftists,
- 00:07:31.507 --> 00:07:34.744
- Politicians going to no king's rallies where they're holding
- 00:07:34.744 --> 00:07:38.014
- Signs saying kill all tyrants, they all must die.
- 00:07:38.014 --> 00:07:40.816
- We have a are saying blood in the streets.
- 00:07:40.816 --> 00:07:43.252
- We have destiny.
- 00:07:43.252 --> 00:07:44.487
- Saying conservatives should be terrified of being in public.
- 00:07:44.487 --> 00:07:47.690
- As people were walking out of this event,
- 00:07:47.690 --> 00:07:49.859
- They passed people with signs that said kill all of them.
- 00:07:49.859 --> 00:07:52.762
- Death to tyrants, to tyrants.
- 00:07:52.762 --> 00:07:54.230
- And those people knew what had happened,
- 00:07:54.230 --> 00:07:56.299
- And they either made those
- 00:07:56.299 --> 00:07:57.633
- Signs in response to what happened,
- 00:07:57.633 --> 00:07:59.168
- Or they decided to wave them anyway.
- 00:07:59.168 --> 00:08:01.637
- That is the kind of people you are dealing with,
- 00:08:01.637 --> 00:08:03.873
- And we've been putting up with it in this country.
- 00:08:03.873 --> 00:08:05.741
- Like it's nothing like this is just the new normal.
- 00:08:05.741 --> 00:08:08.578
- It can't be.
- 00:08:08.578 --> 00:08:11.981
- We have so much to
- 00:08:12.415 --> 00:08:13.149
- Get to and we well,
- 00:08:13.149 --> 00:08:17.006
- Get to and we well,
- 00:08:17.006 --> 00:08:23.360
- We do have susan
- 00:08:23.760 --> 00:08:24.895
- Crabtree ready now, susan, welcome back to the show.
- 00:08:24.895 --> 00:08:27.364
- There's a lot of debate about the success or,
- 00:08:27.364 --> 00:08:31.368
- I don't know, the failure of the secret service.
- 00:08:31.368 --> 00:08:34.438
- It there was a sense of, in retrospect,
- 00:08:35.238 --> 00:08:38.108
- That it was a lack of security in that perimeter.
- 00:08:38.108 --> 00:08:41.511
- I will say it did seem a little bit lax.
- 00:08:41.511 --> 00:08:44.314
- But to blake's point,
- 00:08:44.314 --> 00:08:46.083
- The guy didn't get he didn't really
- 00:08:46.083 --> 00:08:47.818
- Breach the perimeter, per se.
- 00:08:47.818 --> 00:08:49.453
- I was on the floor above.
- 00:08:49.453 --> 00:08:50.821
- He breached it momentarily before they subdued him.
- 00:08:50.821 --> 00:08:53.156
- He ran, right through it.
- 00:08:53.156 --> 00:08:54.825
- What are people saying that you're interviewing?
- 00:08:54.825 --> 00:08:56.627
- I know you're talking to all the sources right now.
- 00:08:56.627 --> 00:08:58.996
- Yes. they're flooding me with information, but, yes,
- 00:08:58.996 --> 00:09:02.766
- I honestly, i always say that these agents acted heroically.
- 00:09:02.766 --> 00:09:08.505
- And so they deserve praise for that.
- 00:09:08.505 --> 00:09:11.174
- But the larger plan, i don't i think it's similar to butler.
- 00:09:11.174 --> 00:09:15.278
- These secret service agents, rank and file secret service
- 00:09:15.278 --> 00:09:18.048
- Agents and officers were set up to fail.
- 00:09:18.048 --> 00:09:21.118
- They didn't fail.
- 00:09:21.118 --> 00:09:23.754
- It was lucky, honestly,
- 00:09:23.754 --> 00:09:26.156
- To me, from my sources
- 00:09:26.156 --> 00:09:28.725
- That are many of them, that inundate me
- 00:09:28.725 --> 00:09:31.461
- After things like this happen, and they are saying that
- 00:09:31.461 --> 00:09:34.865
- This is just an epic failure.
- 00:09:34.865 --> 00:09:37.567
- They were using the 2023 biden model on president trump.
- 00:09:37.567 --> 00:09:42.072
- It's similar to what happened during butler that they treated
- 00:09:42.072 --> 00:09:45.742
- Bernard trump like a former president, like
- 00:09:45.742 --> 00:09:49.379
- President obama,
- 00:09:49.780 --> 00:09:50.781
- Or jimmy carter, not someone who broke the mold
- 00:09:50.781 --> 00:09:54.518
- When it comes to threats against him
- 00:09:54.518 --> 00:09:57.320
- And having outdoor rallies with tens of thousands of people,
- 00:09:57.320 --> 00:10:00.991
- In this case, they did not treat
- 00:10:00.991 --> 00:10:02.793
- The secret service, did not treat this
- 00:10:02.793 --> 00:10:04.294
- As a special national security event,
- 00:10:04.294 --> 00:10:07.030
- Like the state of the union or inauguration, despite
- 00:10:07.030 --> 00:10:10.300
- The fact that there were so many cabinet members there.
- 00:10:10.300 --> 00:10:13.637
- And, you know, i have covered the secret services problems.
- 00:10:13.637 --> 00:10:17.441
- I've been warning about this for months and months.
- 00:10:17.441 --> 00:10:20.277
- It seems like it takes one of these events for washington
- 00:10:20.277 --> 00:10:24.014
- To focus on what's going on with the secret service.
- 00:10:24.014 --> 00:10:27.617
- I don't believe that sean curran is the change agent.
- 00:10:27.617 --> 00:10:31.922
- Dan bongino also warned about that
- 00:10:31.922 --> 00:10:34.091
- When he was chosen and before he was chosen.
- 00:10:34.091 --> 00:10:36.960
- That the secret service needs to reform
- 00:10:36.960 --> 00:10:39.730
- What the message was under the biden administration
- 00:10:39.730 --> 00:10:43.300
- And for many, many years before that.
- 00:10:43.300 --> 00:10:45.435
- So, susan, what are the specific
- 00:10:45.435 --> 00:10:47.971
- Shortcomings they're pointing to in terms of design?
- 00:10:47.971 --> 00:10:51.174
- Is it just the perimeter was too small?
- 00:10:51.174 --> 00:10:53.643
- Is it that the agents there weren't enough agents
- 00:10:53.643 --> 00:10:56.413
- There in general?
- 00:10:56.413 --> 00:10:57.681
- What are the sort of changes that we might expect
- 00:10:57.681 --> 00:11:00.383
- As a result of this?
- 00:11:00.383 --> 00:11:01.818
- This is one of the last lines of defense.
- 00:11:02.719 --> 00:11:05.155
- You know, that magnetometer, checkpoint
- 00:11:05.155 --> 00:11:08.058
- That should not have been where you put
- 00:11:08.058 --> 00:11:11.161
- The where you're interdicting somebody like this.
- 00:11:11.161 --> 00:11:14.931
- The stairwell was completely unsecured.
- 00:11:14.931 --> 00:11:17.667
- That he ran down.
- 00:11:17.667 --> 00:11:18.835
- The hotel is probably not a proper venue anymore.
- 00:11:18.835 --> 00:11:23.573
- For someone like donald trump.
- 00:11:23.573 --> 00:11:25.275
- And his cabinet, the.
- 00:11:25.275 --> 00:11:28.011
- You cannot, unless you are willing to have
- 00:11:28.011 --> 00:11:31.515
- The hotel only accept vetted guests,
- 00:11:31.515 --> 00:11:34.951
- Who are affiliated with the secret service,
- 00:11:34.951 --> 00:11:38.522
- With the event, and the secret service
- 00:11:38.522 --> 00:11:40.423
- Has a chance to look at their backgrounds.
- 00:11:40.423 --> 00:11:42.259
- Or you could have, in other countries, they do this.
- 00:11:42.259 --> 00:11:45.929
- You have checks, days prior to people
- 00:11:45.929 --> 00:11:49.099
- Checking into their hotel, their luggage got checked.
- 00:11:49.099 --> 00:11:51.835
- There were reports
- 00:11:51.835 --> 00:11:52.969
- That reporters were checking into the hotel at 3 p.m.
- 00:11:52.969 --> 00:11:56.873
- That day, and their luggage never was checked whatsoever.
- 00:11:56.873 --> 00:12:00.744
- They are.
- 00:12:00.744 --> 00:12:01.978
- They weren't even check for their id versus their ticket.
- 00:12:01.978 --> 00:12:03.980
- And their ticket tickets were being slashed.
- 00:12:03.980 --> 00:12:06.183
- I don't know, you've been at this event many times.
- 00:12:06.183 --> 00:12:08.218
- I've been to this event dating back to the 90s.
- 00:12:08.218 --> 00:12:11.154
- It's always a soft target in my estimation.
- 00:12:11.154 --> 00:12:13.824
- And so why did not that not get hardened?
- 00:12:13.824 --> 00:12:17.127
- It they used the old model
- 00:12:17.127 --> 00:12:19.329
- And that's not appropriate right now.
- 00:12:19.329 --> 00:12:21.631
- It's the same problem that happened at butler.
- 00:12:21.631 --> 00:12:24.267
- So, so yeah, obviously the model has to change.
- 00:12:24.267 --> 00:12:26.970
- You reported, susan, that, susie wiles has been
- 00:12:26.970 --> 00:12:30.640
- Overseeing the secret service,
- 00:12:30.640 --> 00:12:32.409
- Kind of as part of her portfolio,
- 00:12:32.409 --> 00:12:34.311
- And they're standing by the work of the secret service.
- 00:12:34.311 --> 00:12:36.847
- But they did call a meeting of some sorts.
- 00:12:36.847 --> 00:12:39.082
- What do you what can you report on that?
- 00:12:39.082 --> 00:12:40.617
- Yes. they called a meeting to go, review protocols.
- 00:12:41.651 --> 00:12:44.754
- Exactly what we're talking about.
- 00:12:44.754 --> 00:12:46.790
- They have to say that the secret service did
- 00:12:46.790 --> 00:12:48.992
- A great job.
- 00:12:48.992 --> 00:12:49.926
- I know there were men and women
- 00:12:49.926 --> 00:12:52.662
- There, acted heroically, and i applaud them.
- 00:12:52.662 --> 00:12:56.099
- They prevented a greater tragedy,
- 00:12:56.099 --> 00:12:58.935
- But it should have never got to this point.
- 00:12:58.935 --> 00:13:01.872
- They had cabinet secretaries and dignitaries and
- 00:13:01.872 --> 00:13:06.509
- Erica under the tables, fearing for their lives.
- 00:13:07.477 --> 00:13:11.214
- This is an embarrassment for the united states.
- 00:13:11.214 --> 00:13:14.251
- And the secret service could have prevented this.
- 00:13:14.251 --> 00:13:17.187
- It was highly preventable.
- 00:13:17.187 --> 00:13:19.556
- And moving the security outside,
- 00:13:19.556 --> 00:13:22.259
- Would have been one step.
- 00:13:22.259 --> 00:13:24.294
- All the steps that i just outlined,
- 00:13:24.294 --> 00:13:26.563
- Even the magnetometers, that checkpoint
- 00:13:26.563 --> 00:13:28.932
- Was being broken down, and they were acting very idly.
- 00:13:28.932 --> 00:13:33.270
- You don't
- 00:13:33.270 --> 00:13:34.404
- They were not in a robust posture when that came in.
- 00:13:34.404 --> 00:13:36.706
- And i don't necessarily blame the agents, the rank and file
- 00:13:36.706 --> 00:13:40.577
- Agents and officers.
- 00:13:40.577 --> 00:13:42.012
- I blame the supervisors.
- 00:13:42.012 --> 00:13:43.680
- And it's the same thing at butler.
- 00:13:43.680 --> 00:13:46.216
- The there were two supervisors that signed off
- 00:13:46.216 --> 00:13:48.919
- On that security report,
- 00:13:48.919 --> 00:13:50.687
- That plan without anyone covering the ag's building
- 00:13:50.687 --> 00:13:54.024
- And those secure those supervisors
- 00:13:54.024 --> 00:13:56.693
- Got promotions, and one of them is in charge
- 00:13:56.693 --> 00:13:59.763
- Of the office of professional responsibility,
- 00:13:59.763 --> 00:14:02.666
- Which is in charge of disciplining other agents.
- 00:14:02.666 --> 00:14:05.101
- That is ridiculous. wow.
- 00:14:05.101 --> 00:14:06.703
- When they did, they did not notify and tell that tell the
- 00:14:06.703 --> 00:14:11.408
- The officer.
- 00:14:11.408 --> 00:14:12.142
- This woman who was inexperienced.
- 00:14:12.142 --> 00:14:14.477
- Congress found that she was inexperienced
- 00:14:14.477 --> 00:14:16.413
- And her name is mele perez,
- 00:14:16.413 --> 00:14:17.814
- Who is in charge of charge of butler.
- 00:14:17.814 --> 00:14:20.216
- Now we're having a similar problem take place.
- 00:14:20.216 --> 00:14:23.753
- Why were those agents and officers sitting idly there?
- 00:14:23.753 --> 00:14:28.191
- They reacted quickly,
- 00:14:28.191 --> 00:14:29.726
- Thank goodness, because of their training
- 00:14:29.726 --> 00:14:32.262
- And the training they go through is it's so extensive
- 00:14:32.262 --> 00:14:35.532
- And they put their
- 00:14:35.532 --> 00:14:36.499
- Lives on the line and they did so that night.
- 00:14:36.499 --> 00:14:39.436
- Thank them.
- 00:14:39.436 --> 00:14:40.236
- I'm so thankful to them.
- 00:14:40.236 --> 00:14:42.005
- Our continuity of government thanks them.
- 00:14:42.005 --> 00:14:44.474
- We i'm just but it should have never cut planning.
- 00:14:44.474 --> 00:14:48.011
- Wait, it's the planning. it's the planning. you're right.
- 00:14:48.011 --> 00:14:50.647
- Because i mean, i was in the room
- 00:14:50.647 --> 00:14:52.282
- And i felt the urgency of those secret service agents.
- 00:14:52.282 --> 00:14:55.151
- I remember thinking, don't do it. don't move quickly.
- 00:14:55.151 --> 00:14:57.754
- I don't want them to think
- 00:14:57.754 --> 00:14:58.555
- I'm a threat or something like that.
- 00:14:58.555 --> 00:14:59.923
- I remember being that was one of the biggest
- 00:14:59.923 --> 00:15:01.758
- Points of fear for me is like, just stay low, don't make any
- 00:15:01.758 --> 00:15:04.995
- Sudden movements
- 00:15:05.395 --> 00:15:09.009
- Sudden movements
- 00:15:09.009 --> 00:15:14.839
- We are joined by susan
- 00:15:15.306 --> 00:15:16.440
- Crabtree, real clear politics national correspondent.
- 00:15:16.440 --> 00:15:19.377
- We're talking about the security.
- 00:15:19.377 --> 00:15:20.778
- Blake brought up an interesting point here, susan.
- 00:15:20.778 --> 00:15:23.180
- So, you know, a lot of people think,
- 00:15:23.180 --> 00:15:24.715
- Oh, secret services guarding the event. we're all safe.
- 00:15:24.715 --> 00:15:27.318
- Well, when we all exited that venue,
- 00:15:27.318 --> 00:15:29.754
- What's to say there wasn't if he wasn't a lone
- 00:15:29.754 --> 00:15:31.756
- Wolf, lone gunman,
- 00:15:31.756 --> 00:15:32.857
- What's to say we wouldn't have exited that venue.
- 00:15:32.857 --> 00:15:35.559
- And all of a sudden there's,
- 00:15:35.559 --> 00:15:36.660
- You know, somebody perched up high,
- 00:15:36.660 --> 00:15:38.396
- And it just takes out all the elites. yeah. so yeah.
- 00:15:38.396 --> 00:15:41.032
- So president trump, the cabinet they entered and left
- 00:15:41.032 --> 00:15:43.868
- Through a different way,
- 00:15:43.868 --> 00:15:44.802
- Secured by the secret service,
- 00:15:44.802 --> 00:15:46.270
- But everyone else was sort of just funneling out
- 00:15:46.270 --> 00:15:48.606
- In a narrow line.
- 00:15:48.606 --> 00:15:49.440
- That's where they were passing
- 00:15:49.440 --> 00:15:50.574
- Those people with the signs that said,
- 00:15:50.574 --> 00:15:52.243
- Kill them all, death to tyrants.
- 00:15:52.243 --> 00:15:54.545
- Imagine if one of those people had an ar 15
- 00:15:54.545 --> 00:15:57.014
- Instead and started spraying into that crowd.
- 00:15:57.014 --> 00:15:59.583
- They could have killed a huge number of people.
- 00:15:59.583 --> 00:16:02.653
- And i think that's a lot of the security discourse is sort of
- 00:16:02.653 --> 00:16:05.823
- All the normal people, still noteworthy individuals,
- 00:16:05.823 --> 00:16:08.225
- All of them
- 00:16:08.225 --> 00:16:09.260
- Realize that they were basically unprotected at this.
- 00:16:09.260 --> 00:16:12.463
- So, yeah, i mean,
- 00:16:12.463 --> 00:16:13.531
- And it's a good point, because if you go to blue sky,
- 00:16:13.531 --> 00:16:15.633
- Which this shooter was very active on blue sky,
- 00:16:15.633 --> 00:16:18.602
- Which is basically a breeding ground
- 00:16:18.602 --> 00:16:20.371
- For domestic terrorists at this point,
- 00:16:20.371 --> 00:16:21.939
- They, they hate elites.
- 00:16:21.939 --> 00:16:24.008
- So you got taylor lorenz, who's kind of a despicable person
- 00:16:24.008 --> 00:16:27.344
- Herself and was, you know, fangirling over luigi mangione.
- 00:16:27.344 --> 00:16:31.816
- She's getting canceled on blue sky because she's an elite.
- 00:16:31.816 --> 00:16:35.352
- She was going to a fascist party,
- 00:16:35.352 --> 00:16:36.921
- And they don't care once you're once
- 00:16:36.921 --> 00:16:38.422
- They castigate you as the elite is part of the
- 00:16:38.422 --> 00:16:42.226
- The class that is, you know, totally fair game.
- 00:16:42.226 --> 00:16:45.896
- She's getting canceled on blue sky.
- 00:16:45.896 --> 00:16:47.698
- So what's to say that, you know, norah o'donnell
- 00:16:47.698 --> 00:16:50.401
- And all these people that i saw walking around weren't
- 00:16:50.401 --> 00:16:53.137
- Fair game as we were funneling out of the venue?
- 00:16:53.137 --> 00:16:55.906
- I mean, this is
- 00:16:55.906 --> 00:16:57.074
- The assassination culture that they're creating, that
- 00:16:57.074 --> 00:16:59.910
- They can be this martyr for the cause and effect change.
- 00:16:59.910 --> 00:17:03.714
- You know, the point is,
- 00:17:04.215 --> 00:17:06.250
- I mean, you have a lot of thoughts
- 00:17:06.250 --> 00:17:07.852
- On the security situation here, susan.
- 00:17:07.852 --> 00:17:09.787
- I know, but the point is, we have a deeper problem,
- 00:17:09.787 --> 00:17:14.391
- Which is why the model needs to get updated,
- 00:17:14.391 --> 00:17:16.660
- Because things are simply less safe.
- 00:17:16.660 --> 00:17:19.597
- Absolutely.
- 00:17:19.597 --> 00:17:20.965
- I don't think that you can have a situation.
- 00:17:20.965 --> 00:17:24.001
- Trump broke the mold.
- 00:17:24.001 --> 00:17:26.871
- Okay?
- 00:17:26.871 --> 00:17:27.872
- He is he just is facing so many more threats.
- 00:17:27.872 --> 00:17:32.343
- And it's it's ridiculous to use the biden model
- 00:17:32.343 --> 00:17:36.647
- From 2023 at the white house correspondents dinner
- 00:17:36.647 --> 00:17:40.251
- And think that that is going to, you know, not be permeated.
- 00:17:40.251 --> 00:17:44.722
- This is a porous security system
- 00:17:44.722 --> 00:17:47.758
- That was put in place last night.
- 00:17:47.758 --> 00:17:49.393
- It's been the same model that i've gone to since
- 00:17:49.393 --> 00:17:52.363
- The 90s at the white house correspondents dinner.
- 00:17:52.363 --> 00:17:55.099
- Set a date myself.
- 00:17:55.099 --> 00:17:56.567
- Speaker livingston i remember going back there been got
- 00:17:56.567 --> 00:18:01.472
- I've gone so many times.
- 00:18:01.472 --> 00:18:02.473
- I remember talking about this
- 00:18:02.473 --> 00:18:03.741
- With my husband, who is a former navy officer,
- 00:18:03.741 --> 00:18:07.912
- And he has said we are soft targets at this.
- 00:18:07.912 --> 00:18:11.782
- You are sitting there with, you know, celebrities.
- 00:18:11.782 --> 00:18:15.386
- I remember sitting there with the homeland,
- 00:18:15.386 --> 00:18:17.087
- The celebrity from homeland.
- 00:18:17.087 --> 00:18:18.889
- She said, i can't believe we're exposed like this.
- 00:18:18.889 --> 00:18:20.991
- We're just standing in line.
- 00:18:20.991 --> 00:18:22.960
- And they didn't do anything different.
- 00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:25.996
- And i'll tell you one thing.
- 00:18:25.996 --> 00:18:27.531
- This the senior executive service, that is the
- 00:18:27.531 --> 00:18:31.769
- So that's upper management of the secret service.
- 00:18:31.769 --> 00:18:34.939
- Sean curran is not
- 00:18:34.939 --> 00:18:37.474
- Did not actually use someone who had that kind of,
- 00:18:37.474 --> 00:18:41.645
- Accreditation to head
- 00:18:42.146 --> 00:18:45.149
- To be the special agent in charge
- 00:18:45.149 --> 00:18:47.151
- Of the protective division,
- 00:18:47.151 --> 00:18:48.619
- The presidential protected division.
- 00:18:48.619 --> 00:18:51.188
- That's a change.
- 00:18:51.188 --> 00:18:52.456
- And that one of my sources brought that to my attention
- 00:18:52.456 --> 00:18:55.526
- In the last 24 hours.
- 00:18:55.526 --> 00:18:56.961
- He to sean curran didn't have that accreditation,
- 00:18:56.961 --> 00:19:01.432
- Because he he was, a former.
- 00:19:01.432 --> 00:19:04.168
- They treated him as working for a former president,
- 00:19:04.168 --> 00:19:07.805
- Even though this is an unusual situation where,
- 00:19:07.805 --> 00:19:10.874
- You know, president trump was a former
- 00:19:10.874 --> 00:19:12.943
- President running for president again.
- 00:19:12.943 --> 00:19:15.679
- This is just me. honestly,
- 00:19:15.679 --> 00:19:19.850
- I had
- 00:19:20.084 --> 00:19:21.085
- Some exclusive reporting to, share with you.
- 00:19:21.085 --> 00:19:23.854
- Susie wiles, i'm told, is was overseeing
- 00:19:23.854 --> 00:19:27.224
- The secret service, the chief of staff,
- 00:19:27.224 --> 00:19:28.792
- The white house chief of staff.
- 00:19:28.792 --> 00:19:30.227
- And she was pushing back.
- 00:19:30.227 --> 00:19:32.062
- There were several incidents that i reported on.
- 00:19:32.062 --> 00:19:34.431
- The chief council was handpicked by sean kerr,
- 00:19:34.431 --> 00:19:37.401
- And he got into a road rage incident and was impersonating
- 00:19:37.401 --> 00:19:41.272
- A secret service officer, so he was forced to resign.
- 00:19:41.272 --> 00:19:44.908
- The, kristi noem wanted,
- 00:19:45.442 --> 00:19:48.545
- Wanted to put a political chief council in place
- 00:19:48.545 --> 00:19:52.850
- To sort of initiate some of these reforms.
- 00:19:52.850 --> 00:19:55.819
- I'm told the white house would not approve of that.
- 00:19:55.819 --> 00:19:58.122
- Susie wells would not approve of that.
- 00:19:58.122 --> 00:20:00.224
- They had a
- 00:20:00.224 --> 00:20:01.425
- Deputy chief of staff from dhs go over to the secret service
- 00:20:01.425 --> 00:20:06.130
- To share recommendations for reform.
- 00:20:06.130 --> 00:20:09.033
- And i'm told that that sean curran
- 00:20:09.033 --> 00:20:11.602
- Called over to susie wiles and susie while said
- 00:20:11.602 --> 00:20:14.872
- No and walked had him walked out of the building.
- 00:20:14.872 --> 00:20:18.375
- Now, i went to the white house today
- 00:20:18.375 --> 00:20:20.511
- And shared these findings with her.
- 00:20:20.511 --> 00:20:22.346
- This from the sources,
- 00:20:22.346 --> 00:20:23.881
- And they gave me a statement and i'll read it to you.
- 00:20:23.881 --> 00:20:27.418
- So let me be clear.
- 00:20:27.885 --> 00:20:29.153
- This is from carolyn leavitt.
- 00:20:29.153 --> 00:20:30.921
- Let me be clear.
- 00:20:30.921 --> 00:20:31.622
- Nobody cares
- 00:20:31.622 --> 00:20:32.856
- More or has pushed harder or has asked more hard questions
- 00:20:32.856 --> 00:20:35.859
- About president trump's safety than susie wiles.
- 00:20:35.859 --> 00:20:38.796
- The insinuation that susie would object to anything
- 00:20:38.796 --> 00:20:41.565
- That would help strengthen protection for her boss
- 00:20:41.565 --> 00:20:44.134
- And friend is absolutely absurd.
- 00:20:44.134 --> 00:20:46.904
- But they did not address my questions
- 00:20:46.904 --> 00:20:49.540
- About whether she had this jeopardy!
- 00:20:49.540 --> 00:20:52.743
- Chief of staff at dhs walked out of the building
- 00:20:52.743 --> 00:20:55.979
- For trying to share reforms with the secret service
- 00:20:55.979 --> 00:20:58.882
- And oversee some reforms.
- 00:20:58.882 --> 00:21:00.584
- That's troubling.
- 00:21:00.584 --> 00:21:03.721
- Yeah.
- 00:21:03.954 --> 00:21:05.022
- I mean, you know, both things can be true, right?
- 00:21:05.022 --> 00:21:06.757
- That susie wiles does care deeply about,
- 00:21:06.757 --> 00:21:10.060
- His safety and protection and that ultimately,
- 00:21:11.028 --> 00:21:15.065
- Something else could be going on behind the scenes,
- 00:21:15.065 --> 00:21:17.301
- You know, that we're unaware of of
- 00:21:17.301 --> 00:21:18.736
- What would explain those actions.
- 00:21:18.736 --> 00:21:21.071
- It's great reporting, susan.
- 00:21:21.071 --> 00:21:22.406
- Thank you for sharing that.
- 00:21:22.406 --> 00:21:23.607
- You said a brand new exclusive reporting that you just got.
- 00:21:23.607 --> 00:21:27.111
- Okay, well, that's fascinating.
- 00:21:27.111 --> 00:21:30.748
- Yeah.
- 00:21:30.981 --> 00:21:31.882
- I don't know what to make of that.
- 00:21:31.882 --> 00:21:33.183
- Actually, you kind of.
- 00:21:33.183 --> 00:21:34.318
- I don't know if, like,
- 00:21:34.318 --> 00:21:35.319
- You have thoughts here, but, it's troubling
- 00:21:35.319 --> 00:21:37.287
- Because there are
- 00:21:37.287 --> 00:21:38.322
- Obviously reforms that need to be implemented.
- 00:21:38.322 --> 00:21:41.091
- Wider perimeter,
- 00:21:41.091 --> 00:21:42.326
- You know, checks multi levels of of security.
- 00:21:42.326 --> 00:21:45.829
- And you made a good point earlier susan
- 00:21:45.829 --> 00:21:47.664
- You where you said, you know they have to say
- 00:21:47.664 --> 00:21:49.366
- That the security was stood up and that these that
- 00:21:49.366 --> 00:21:52.669
- They did their job heroically and all the stuff and they did.
- 00:21:52.669 --> 00:21:56.340
- But from a planning perspective and from a leadership
- 00:21:56.340 --> 00:21:59.243
- Perspective, you know, like i said,
- 00:21:59.243 --> 00:22:00.544
- Charlie was tweeting about the morale issues.
- 00:22:00.544 --> 00:22:02.946
- I'm curious
- 00:22:02.946 --> 00:22:03.747
- If we're still experiencing those,
- 00:22:03.747 --> 00:22:05.182
- If that's still
- 00:22:05.182 --> 00:22:06.183
- Part of the storyline of the us secret service.
- 00:22:06.183 --> 00:22:08.685
- Now, in well into trump's second year here, are you still
- 00:22:08.685 --> 00:22:12.189
- Is the secret service morale been cleared up
- 00:22:12.189 --> 00:22:14.224
- In some of the hiring issues been cleared up, as you say?
- 00:22:14.224 --> 00:22:17.528
- Absolutely not. absolutely not.
- 00:22:17.528 --> 00:22:19.830
- That is a critical issue, andrew.
- 00:22:19.830 --> 00:22:22.766
- You just nailed it.
- 00:22:22.766 --> 00:22:25.269
- The secret service is having severe hiring issues.
- 00:22:25.269 --> 00:22:28.205
- Richard poli, who is a former secret service
- 00:22:28.205 --> 00:22:30.741
- Agent, covered for presidents.
- 00:22:30.741 --> 00:22:32.843
- He wrote an op ed.
- 00:22:32.843 --> 00:22:34.545
- He's a he's a source of mine.
- 00:22:34.545 --> 00:22:36.313
- He wrote an op ed in the fox news just last week
- 00:22:36.313 --> 00:22:38.949
- About this very issue, that the hiring standards
- 00:22:38.949 --> 00:22:41.852
- Have been severely lowered because there's a brain drain.
- 00:22:41.852 --> 00:22:45.522
- There's a talent drain in the secret service,
- 00:22:45.522 --> 00:22:47.491
- That's been going on for quite some time
- 00:22:47.491 --> 00:22:50.127
- Because morale issues has been plaguing
- 00:22:50.127 --> 00:22:51.895
- The secret service for years.
- 00:22:51.895 --> 00:22:53.397
- But they were exact surveyed during the biden administration
- 00:22:53.397 --> 00:22:56.600
- When biden had a dei mandate in place, saying
- 00:22:56.600 --> 00:23:00.204
- That you will hire more women and you will hire more money.
- 00:23:00.204 --> 00:23:03.907
- Let's fix it, absolutely not.
- 00:23:03.907 --> 00:23:06.777
- That's one thing i've been reported on repeatedly.
- 00:23:06.777 --> 00:23:09.980
- There was, you know, so many different people.
- 00:23:09.980 --> 00:23:12.049
- Yeah, we got to wrap up this hour, but that's troubling.
- 00:23:12.049 --> 00:23:14.985
- As you learn more, i want to have you back on
- 00:23:14.985 --> 00:23:17.888
- To give us updates here, because the eyes of the nation
- 00:23:17.888 --> 00:23:20.757
- In the world are on this now.
- 00:23:20.757 --> 00:23:21.959
- Susan crabtree, real clear politics. thank you so much.
- 00:23:21.959 --> 00:23:21.959
