Emergency Episode: Special Forces Sniper Explains Trump Shooting - Tim Kennedy

How Has America Come to This? (0s)

• The incident involving former President Trump's security detail on Saturday highlighted organizational issues, personnel selection, training, requirements, authorizations, and labor force deficiencies within the government and Department of Homeland Security.
• The security detail failed to protect Trump effectively, and his survival was due to a fortunate change in the bullet's trajectory.
• Concerns about potential complicity and malice arise due to the incompetence and lack of preparedness of the security detail.
• The ongoing investigation into the assassination attempt is being conducted by the president's own home, raising concerns about impartiality since the investigators belong to the opposing party running for president in November.

Explaining the Different Security Roles (6m12s)

• The security arrangements for former President Trump on the day of the shooting were inadequate, with more Homeland Security contractors and local law enforcement officers present than Secret Service agents.
• President Trump's campaign had repeatedly requested additional security from the Department of Homeland Security, but these requests were denied.
• The staging area for local law enforcement was dangerously close to the building from which the shooter climbed up.
• The security perimeter was set at only 130 meters, which is insufficient to protect against explosions and small arms fire.
• The building from which the shooter took the shot had a direct line of sight to the president's location, and it was only 151 yards away.
• Tim Kennedy, a former Special Forces sniper, discusses the assassination attempt on President Trump and finds it suspicious that certain social media accounts that initially posted photos of the shooter and the weapon used in the attempt have been deleted.

Step-by-Step Rundown of the Shooting (13m26s)

• A shooter climbed onto a building with a direct line of sight to the podium where the former president was standing.
• The shooter was not visible until he appeared over the roof's edge.
• A law enforcement officer investigated after people at the rally reported seeing a man with a gun.
• The shooter saw the officer, turned around, and began shooting towards the former president.
• The confusion in the response may have been due to multiple organizations using different radio frequencies.
• The counter-sniper team focused their attention on the would-be assassin's building for approximately 40 seconds.
• The sniper and spotter on the counter-sniper team are highly skilled shooters.

What Was the Counter-Sniper Thinking? (20m29s)

• A sniper team, consisting of a sniper and a spotter, work closely together and can anticipate each other's actions, allowing them to make independent decisions in certain situations.
• The sniper in the video hesitates to shoot due to a lack of confidence stemming from the current state of law enforcement.
• Secret Service agents have the authority to protect the president without approval, but it's unclear if they have the authority to shoot at a potential threat without approval.
• The agents were aware of the building as a potential threat and had been warned to look in that direction, repeatedly scanning the crowd and parking lot while returning their focus to the building with a line of sight to the podium.

How Many Shots Were Fired? (27m22s)

• Secret Service agents were focused on a specific building for about 40-45 seconds, indicating a potential threat.
• The shooter was close enough that the agents didn't need magnification to see him, suggesting a lack of proper security measures.
• The sniper immediately went down back onto his scope after the shots started coming in, indicating a lack of combat experience.
• A sniper took a shot at former President Trump, grazing his ear.
• Secret Service snipers engaged the shooter.

Who Were the People Shielding Trump? (34m14s)

• A shooting incident involving President Trump occurred, resulting in a security breach due to multiple failures.
• The bullet narrowly missed the President's ear, posing a significant threat due to its speed and energy.
• The Principal Security Detail failed to anticipate, prevent, and effectively respond to the threat, highlighting the need for a thorough after-action review.
• The sniper criticizes the security detail's inability to protect the President despite their efforts throughout the event.

Criticisms of the Security & DEI (39m54s)

• Tim Kennedy, a former Special Forces sniper, criticizes the Secret Service for prioritizing diversity over competence, which could compromise the agency's effectiveness in protecting the president.
• He cites instances where agents failed to prioritize the president's safety during shooting incidents, such as an agent hiding behind him instead of shielding him.
• Kennedy emphasizes the importance of lethality and competence as the primary criteria for selecting and retaining Secret Service agents, regardless of gender.
• He criticizes the current trend of implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies that prioritize diversity over competence, leading to unqualified individuals being hired for crucial roles in professions such as the military, law enforcement, and firefighting.
• Kennedy highlights the example of the Secret Service, where physical assessment criteria for men and women differ, with women having a 30% advantage, which he believes compromises the effectiveness and safety of the agency.

Trump's Fighting Spirit (48m27s)

• Former Special Forces sniper Tim Kennedy analyzes the incident involving ex-President Donald Trump, praising his resilience and determination after being tackled.
• Kennedy shares personal interactions with Trump and his family, expressing admiration for their character and values.
• Kennedy criticizes the Secret Service's handling of the incident, pointing out security flaws such as a lack of clear command, poor coordination, and inadequate training.
• He emphasizes the importance of proper firearm handling and proficiency, suggesting that even experienced shooters can face difficulties under pressure.
• Kennedy expresses disgust at the Secret Service's performance and suggests rigorous training to improve their response.
• The Secret Service's pool of potential recruits may have declined in competence, with diversity prioritized over capacity.
• The reduction in agents assigned to Trump's detail, combined with intelligence and operational failures, contributed to the overall failure.
• Numerous small decisions led up to the catastrophic failure, indicating a broken organization.
• Tim Kennedy discusses the aftermath of the assassination attempt on President Trump.
• He criticizes President Biden's response to the incident and suggests that Trump should hire private security for protection.
• Kennedy emphasizes that the assassination attempt is not a partisan issue and that both sides of the political spectrum have been targeted.
• He advises civilians to pay attention to the events unfolding in the coming weeks and to register to vote in the upcoming election.
• Tim Kennedy encourages viewers to watch a selection of the best clips from his podcast over the last few months.