Event Information
Date:
September 10, 2026
Location: Maggiano’s 240 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL.
Speaker: G. Michael Verden
Program Title:
Butler to Better: How the Secret Service Rebuilt Protective Security After July 13, 2024
Program Description
On July 13, 2024, a gunman attempted to assassinate presidential nominee Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Subsequent investigations identified failures in communications, intelligence sharing, command-and-control, advance planning, resource allocation, and protective operations that contributed to the incident. Congressional investigations, the DHS Independent Review Panel, and Secret Service internal reviews described the event as a preventable operational failure.
This presentation examines how the U.S. Secret Service responded during the two years following Butler by implementing changes in technology, aerial surveillance and counter-drone capabilities, mobile command-and-control systems, training, personnel accountability, intelligence integration, and operational protocols. The session explores what was fixed, what remains challenging, and what the broader security profession can learn from one of the most significant protective security failures in modern American history. Attendees will gain practical insights applicable to executive protection, dignitary security, major events, and critical incident preparedness.
After attending this session, the attendees will:
Objective 1: Analysis of the operational, communication, and coordination failures identified by congressional, DHS, and independent reviews following the Butler assassination attempt.
Objective 2: Major organizational and policy reforms implemented by the U.S. Secret Service in response to Butler, including accountability measures, revised protective operations procedures, and enhanced interagency coordination.
Objective 3: Explanation of new technologies—including enhanced drone detection, counter-UAS capabilities, aerial surveillance assets, and mobile command posts—have changed protective security operations.
Objective 4: Impact of personnel, training, staffing, and command-and-control improvements on modern executive protection operations.
Objective 5: Application of lessons learned from Butler to attendees own executive protection, event security, venue security, and critical incident planning programs.
