To the editor:

Like everyone, I was shocked and appalled by the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on July 13. But I’m more appalled by the glaring incompetence of the Secret Service and federal law enforcement agencies whose sole job was to protect Trump.

The shooter, Thomas Cook, had been identified as suspicious by local law enforcement a full hour before Trump took the stage. He was then seen with a rangefinder and spotted on the roof of the building, where he shot the former president, 10 minutes before Trump even took the stage. A rooftop that had no security officers on it due to the specious reasoning of “safety concerns.”

I applaud the quick action of federal, state and local law enforcement once the bullets started flying.

Still, the death of Corey Comperatore and the injury to three others, including Trump, could and should have been avoided.

While the Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has resigned, this is insufficient. Those responsible for this glaring lapse in security need to be held accountable. This is why I support Trump and the Republican Party in their attempts to hold these unaccountable agencies accountable for their lapses and mistakes.

I call on all members of Congress and the public to support a vigorous and thorough investigation and hold all the bureaucratic agencies involved accountable for their actions.

Furthermore, I call on Republicans and the Secret Service to provide extra protection to Trump and his people to ensure this cannot happen again.

Charles Bleibtrey

Lake George