After the assassination attempt on former President Donald J. Trump in Butler, Pa., Congress held hearings on the failures of the Secret Service, and its director, Kimberly Cheatle, stepped down.

Weeks later, another man attempted to shoot the former president, increasing concerns that something had gone very wrong at the Secret Service.

Eric Lipton, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, explains why the agency’s failures are indicative of much more troubling issues.

Guest: Eric Lipton (https://www.nytimes.com/by/eric-lipton) , an investigative reporter for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• An exodus of agents left the Secret Service unprepared for 2024 (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/03/us/politics/secret-service-staffing-retention-hiring.html) .
• From July: The Secret Service has faced questions about its decisions (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/15/us/politics/secret-service-security-roof-trump-shooting.html) before and immediately after the assassination attempt in Butler.
• From September: The Secret Service had not swept (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/17/us/politics/secret-service-trump.html) the area where a gunman lay in wait as Mr. Trump embarked on a short-notice golf outing.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily (http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily) . Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Soon, you’ll need a subscription to keep full access to this show, and to other New York Times podcasts, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Don’t miss out on exploring all of our shows, featuring everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts (https://nytimes.com/podcasts) .