Pennsylvania cops take some blame for Trump assassination attempt, but say protecting ex-prez was Secret Service’s job

Pennsylvania law enforcement officials testifying on Capitol Hill Tuesday shouldered some blame for former President Donald Trump’s near-assassination at a July 13 campaign rally, but said US Secret Service chief Kimberly Cheatle and her agency were “ultimately responsible” for the catastrophic security lapses — just minutes before she resigned.

Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris and Fraternal Order of Police national president Patrick Yoes told members of the House Homeland Security Committee that the Secret Service was the primary agency tasked with securing the Butler, Pa., campaign event.

Absent were law enforcement officials for Butler County, or Beaver County — the neighboring Pittsburgh suburb that reportedly had a tactical team at the building .

“Prior to the shooting, our role was to support the Secret Service with personnel and assets that they requested,” Paris said in his opening statement.

“We had two main responsibilities: A motorcade operation for the transportation with the Secret Service of former President Trump, as well as manning and staffing security posts inside the secure area of the Butler County Farm Show,” he added.

GOPers slam Dem bill that would strip Trump of security detail in prison: ‘Ask Mr. Epstein’s family’

“Additionally, we provided two marked cars with uniformed troopers outside of the secure perimeter to provide roving duties, as the name implies, responding to incidents that may occur as a large gathering of people were moving to the venue after the shooting,” Paris said.

“We must remember that the law enforcement mission is a shared mission, and agencies at every level routinely cooperate and collaborate with one another,” added Yoes.

“But the United States Secret Service ultimately is responsible and is the final arbiter of any security matters affecting their protectee and the public,” he said. “There were critical failures of security at the event in Butler.”

Both law enforcement witnesses offered their condolences to the family of slain firefighter Corey Comperatore and well wishes for the other injured shooting victims, David Dutch and James Copenhaver.

House forms bipartisan task force to probe Trump assassination attempt: ‘Shocking’ lapses

Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) said he hoped to get answers about the security failures that allowed 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks to fire an AR-style rifle from the roof of a factory building about 130 yards from the the main stage, striking Trump in his right ear but not seriously wounding him.

In his opening remarks, Green slammed the Secret Service for the “massive security failure by the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security — the closest someone has been to taking the life of a president or presidential candidate since President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981 — more than 40 years ago.”

No Secret Service or local counter-sniper team was placed on the AGR International Inc. building — despite it being flagged as a “vulnerability” in the security footprint, Cheatle revealed in her testimony to the House Oversight Committee on Monday.

Crooks also reportedly scoped the grounds of the rally site days before with a drone and roamed them on the day of the event with a rangefinder scope, leading him to be labeled “suspicious” by federal authorities an hour before Trump took the stage.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR MORNING REPORT NEWSLETTER

The Homeland Security panel chairman led a bipartisan group of lawmakers to the Butler Farm Show grounds on Monday, where several lawmakers mocked Cheatle’s claim that a “ sloped roof ” posed a “safety concern” to agents as the reason for it not being secured.

“I’m standing on the roof in Pennsylvania where Thomas Crooks attempted to assassinate President Trump,” Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) posted on X in a video of him touring the site. “I’m 70 years old, if I was able to get on this roof — anybody can.”

Green also took a swipe in his opening statement at the top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), for introducing legislation “clearly intended to strip Secret Service protection from former President Trump.”

“While I understand the legislation would not have applied in this instance, it was clear to everyone that it was directed toward the former president,” he said. “We all introduce messaging bills; this one should be withdrawn.”

Republicans and Democrats called for Cheatle’s resignation on Monday after the Secret Service chief failed to provide any answers to Oversight panel members about the Trump assassination attempt.

Cheatle stepped down on Tuesday morning, writing in a letter to agency employees that remaining the director would be “a distraction from the great work each and every one of you do towards our vital mission.”

FBI Director Christopher Wray and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas snubbed Green’s request for voluntary testimony on Tuesday before his panel.

For top headlines, breaking news and more, visit nypost.com.