Two men who were shot during the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump are accusing the Secret Service of “negligence.”
Jim Copenhaver, 74, and David Dutch, 57, told NBC News they believe the Secret Service and other law enforcement officials were negligent in their duty to protect Trump as well as civilians. Both men were critically injured at the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally in July.
“I believe there was 100% negligence on the Secret Service, probably everybody involved in setting that security, down to inter-department communications,” Dutch said. “The negligence was vast. It was terrible.”
“I’m sure there was negligence. It wouldn’t have happened, had it been secure,” Copenhaver said.
Dutch said the Secret Service failed “big time” at protecting himself and the former president. Copenhaver was shot in both the triceps and abdomen, and Dutch was hit by a bullet in his liver.
“It was like getting hit with a sledgehammer right in the chest,” Dutch said.
Copenhaver said he didn’t realize what was happening until he saw part of his shirt blow away.
“I turned around to my friend, and I said, ‘I think I was shot,’ and that’s when I got the second one, and then, I went down,” Copenhaver said, telling the outlet that he had collapsed onto the bleachers and could not stand up.
Both men told NBC that the incident left them with health problems. Copenhaver said he lost 30 pounds and now needs a cane to walk. Dutch said he lost 25 pounds and cannot drive or lift more than 10 pounds.
Another rallygoer, Corey Comperatore, was killed at the rally. Trump’s ear was wounded in the incident.
The assassination attempt this summer sounded the alarm surrounding security failures that allowed the gunman to shoot Trump. Kimberly Cheatle, who was then the director of the Secret Service, stepped down following calls for her resignation.