What Happened After Butler – And Why It Still Matters

Dear Friend,

I want to tell you about one of the most important series in journalism my newsroom has produced, and why it’s a perfect example of what your support makes possible.

The Butler Incident

You remember the Butler rally. July 13, 2024. A gunman opened fire on President Trump, grazed his ear, and killed Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief who was shielding his family. Two other rallygoers were critically wounded. It was the most serious assassination attempt on a president or presidential candidate in decades.

After Butler, the big networks covered the shock, the politics, the fallout. And then, as they always do, they moved on to the next story.

Susan Crabtree didn’t move on.

Susan is our national political correspondent, and she is one of the best reporters I’ve ever worked with. In the months after Butler, while everyone else had turned the page, Susan kept digging. She cultivated sources inside the Secret Service. She filed records requests. She asked the questions that make powerful people uncomfortable.

And her reporting had real consequences.

Susan Crabtree, Bird Dog

When acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe was brought before the Senate, Sen. Josh Hawley cited Susan’s reporting that Rowe himself was directly involved in denying additional security resources for Trump’s rallies. Six agents were eventually suspended for the security failures at Butler, but the agency never disclosed who they were. Susan broke their names. She reported that their punishments amounted to between 10 and 42 days of unpaid leave. Not one of them was fired.

She uncovered that senior Secret Service leaders had received classified intelligence regarding a threat to Trump’s life ten days before Butler and failed to relay it to the law enforcement personnel responsible for securing the event.

And Susan kept going. She reported that the agency was quietly trying to renew the security clearance of former director Kimberly Cheatle – the same director who resigned in disgrace after Butler. Sen. Ron Johnson intervened based on Susan’s reporting, and the Secret Service backed down.

She broke the story of a Secret Service agent who celebrated an assassination attempt on social media. Sen. Marsha Blackburn demanded the agent be fired, citing Susan’s work.

She investigated a road-rage incident involving the agency’s newly appointed chief counsel, who resigned after Susan’s inquiry.

In 2024, Susan received the prestigious Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. I’m proud of that, but I’m even prouder of what the award represents: a reporter who wouldn’t let a powerful federal agency sweep its failures under the rug.

The value of investigative journalism

This kind of reporting is not ideological. It’s not partisan. It’s a journalist holding powerful institutions accountable for catastrophic failures. But it’s expensive and difficult. It takes months. It requires a reporter who won’t give up when doors get closed in her face. And it depends on a news organization that will back her up – one that isn’t beholden to corporate interests or political allies who might prefer the story go away.

That’s RealClear. And that’s what your donation supports.

Our spring fundraising drive ends Sunday, two days from now. Would you consider making a tax-deductible gift to help fund the independent journalism that holds the powerful accountable?

You can make your donation here: https://www.realclearmediafund.org/donate/

Susan’s reporting at Butler. Mark Hemingway’s Portland investigation that helped trigger a congressional inquiry. RealClear’s access inside the White House. None of it is possible without support from people like you.

Two days left. Thank you for being the kind of reader who cares about getting the real story.

Carl

Carl M. Cannon
Washington Bureau Chief
RealClearPolitics

P.S. When I think about what makes RealClear different after 25 years, it’s readers like you who make this work possible. Our spring drive closes Sunday. Will you make a gift before the deadline?

This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.