September 25, 2024 • 34 mins
In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, welcomes back Jim Rathmann, a former United States Secret Service agent, to discuss the shocking second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Rathmann gives insider insights into the growing threats against public figures and explains how both political rhetoric and mental illness play a role in inciting dangerous actions. Drawing from his experience as a Secret Service agent, Rathmann walks through the chilling details of the most recent attempt and emphasizes the importance of proper security measures, including more staffing and technological advancements.
Donald Trump was rushed to safety on Sept. 15th, 2024, after what the FBI termed an apparent assassination attempt at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was arrested and charged with firearms offences. The incident comes almost exactly two months after a shooting at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which left the Republican nominee with minor injuries and killed a man in the crowd.
Jim Rathmann is a decorated former Secret Service agent with an impressive career spanning from the gridiron to the front lines of presidential protection. Having protected numerous high-profile figures, including Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, Jim offers an unparalleled insight into the world of security and safety.
Listeners can learn more about Jim Rathmann from IG @therealjimrathmann and on X @realjimrathmann
Listen to the Previous Episodes on First Assassination Attempt:
The Assassination Attempt of Former President Donald Trump
The Secret Service Angle: Assassination Attempt of Former President Donald Trump
Show Notes:
- (0:00) Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum
- (0:10) Jim Rathmann Returns to Zone 7 to discuss the second assassination attempt of former President, Donald Trump
- (3:00) Mental illness and public figures
- (4:00) The role of celebrities in inciting violence
- (8:30) Details of the second attempt
- (12:30) Historical context - The Reagan assassination attempt
- (15:00) Security aeasures and vulnerabilities
- (18:30) The importance of adequate personnel
- (20:30) The need for toned-down rhetoric
- (26:00) Proposed changes for the Secret Service
- (28:30) Conspiracy theories and inside help
- (34:00) “There's nothing more powerful than a person with something or someone to fight for.” - J.R
- Thanks for listening to another episode! If you’re loving the show and want to help grow the show, please head over to Itunes and leave a rating and review!
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Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook., Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. Sheryl is also the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a collaboration between universities and colleges that brings researchers, practitioners, students and the criminal justice community together to advance techniques in solving cold cases and assist families and law enforcement with solvability factors for unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnapping cases.
Social Links:
- Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com
- Twitter: @ColdCaseTips
- Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
- Instagram: @officialzone7podcast
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Jim Rathman is back. He discussed the first assassination attempt beautifully.
He is back today to try to clear up and
explain what has happened a second time to former President Trump.
If you haven't heard that first episode, he fills in
(00:31):
so many gaps and holes. He touches on conspiracies, he
breaks down facts. Go now Part one and Part two. Unbelievably,
we've had a second attempt on the life of former
President Donald Trump. Y'all know Jim Rathman, former investigator, former
(00:53):
law enforcement officer, Army veteran, and most importantly for our
conversation tonight, Jim is a former United States Secret Service agent. Jim,
welcome to Zone seven.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Well, Cheryl, thank you so much for having me back.
It's great to be back on Zone seven. I just
wish the circumstances were a little different.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
It's mind boggling. I mean, you and I talked about it.
Copycats are always a concern. You prepare for it, but
pray it doesn't happen. And here within weeks we've had
a second attempt.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
It's crazy to me, and unfortunately I don't think this
is the last attempt either. And it's mind blowing how
things are going right now. But we have to look
at the state affairs in the country and not to
get all political, but it be the rhetoric going back
and forth on both sides or both parties. I mean,
it's disturbing. I think that might be the best word
(01:49):
for me to be able to use in this, because
it doesn't matter what side of the aisle you're on.
It's happening to both parties and it's got to stop.
And we got to stand on principles, man, And I
think we got to tell down the rhetoric and get
through the principles of what makes us country great and
what can help our country be great, no matter what
that looks like. But unfortunately now I think we're inciting
a bunch of crazies out there that feel like they're
(02:12):
doing some sort of good by going out and creating
these assassination attempts. And it's just a very scary world
to live in right now.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
And I want to be so clear, this to me
is murder. It has nothing to do with politics. For me,
you are talking about somebody that is plotting, planning, and
then doing overt actions to murder someone. This particular victim
(02:41):
happens to be a political figure. But the reality is, Jim,
if this were somebody that was famous for singing, or
an actor or an athlete, it would be the same response.
For me, It is never okay. Murder is never okay.
Don't care what your sexual orientation is, your religion, your race,
(03:05):
your political beliefs. That to me is not even secondary. That,
to me, is not even on the list of reasons
that it would be okay for you to take the
life of another person. So this happens to be a
former president, but Nate, to me, make no mistake, this
is a murder plot.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
I happen to agree with you fully. I mean, I
don't think murder is ever accomptable, much like what you
just said when we talk about public figures, whether that's
political or a singer, actor, actress, any of the sorts.
Whenever you've heard of these stories, which that has happened
many times in our past, always restraining orders and various things,
you'll notice a common pattern, and the common pattern it's
(03:49):
usually somebody with mental illness. It's usually somebody that's that's
not thinking clearly and then in their own delusional fantasy
world that they're living in they think it's okay to
break into There was an actress a few years ago
that had somebody actually break into her home. You know,
there's some very I mean stuff's happened to what Taylor
Swift and I think there's other actors, actresses, singers that
(04:13):
have happened to And now you have the same type
of thing happening to former President Trump. And much like
this most recent assassination attempt, which it is, Ryan Ruth
is as I say, the last name Ruth Ralph. He is,
in my opinion, mentally ill. You look at what he's
done in the past. He's been arrested multiple times, weapons charges,
(04:34):
stolen vehicles. There's even a report on him being arrested
for weapons of mass destruction in two thousand and two
with an explosive device. You know, clearly he's not in
the right frame of mind. It's it's clearly a cat
and mouse game for him. Let me be, let me
voice my stuff out on social media, and let me
(04:56):
act in these crazy, delusional ways as if he's unstoppable, untouchable.
We are incredibly lucky that a very alert Secret Service agent,
while patrolling the whole of head the golf hole ahead
of President Trump getting to that location, just so happened
to notice the end of a weapon, a rifle which
(05:18):
was an AK forty seven, sticking out through the fence
and was able to prevent President Trump or former President
Trump from being assassinated.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
That's right. And you know you mentioned a few actors
and so forth that have had people break into their homes. Listen,
Madonna had a stalker that was extremely dangerous, in my opinion,
extremely was able to gain access to her house more
than once. But Madonna has said and I quote, I
(05:49):
thought about blowing up the White House end quote. That
is not okay. And she, of all people should understand
how dangerous those type statements are because when somebody suffering
with mental illness, here's that that fuels them by saying, well,
Madonna agrees with me. And you know, you've got folks
(06:10):
like Mickey Rourke and Rosie o'donald and saying things that
to me should warrant the Secret Service knocking on their door.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
I agree completely. I mean, you can't make comments like that,
no matter how famous you are, you can't. I mean,
Robert de Niro has this fair share of things to
say as well. The list goes on and on again.
It comes back to the rhetoric that's being put out there,
and you know, it goes both sides. I'm not just
saying that there's a lot of political rhetoric that goes
(06:38):
towards former President Trump, although there is, but there's also
political retic that comes from the other side at the
Democratic Party, and at some point or another, you have
to evaluate and make your comments, to speak on principles
for what somebody stands and believes in and how they're
going to better this country and whatever that looks like.
But what we're doing right now, calling people threats and
(07:01):
you know, thrust to democracy threast to society, that is fire.
And we got to stop putting gasoline on the fire
and letting it ignite because it's excited all these crazies
and now want to come forward and try to take
action on it. Again, Just like you said, with Madonna
making those kind of words, that absolutely warranted some sort
of conversation from the United States Secret Service because there's
(07:24):
somebody out there that's going to listen to every single
word that she has to say. And now thinking that's
the justification to go ahead and do this and vice versa.
It's got to stop.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
And Johnny Depp, I mean, good lord. He went as
far as to say, you know, how long has it
been since an actor assassinated a president? It might be time.
What in the world that, to me should warrant more
than a knock on his door.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
It's an arrestable offense and these times, until they, you know,
make an example out of a few, it won't stop.
But you can't dictate what the law is based on
who they are. The law is specific and written for
its intended purpose. You have to enforce it, and that's
what they're supposed to do. And the moment we start
(08:11):
operating in the gray as opposed to very black and
white on what that is, you're going to continue to
get more and more of it. So hopefully people will
start toning it down. You know, the elections are coming
and my fear. My fear is that this isn't the
last attempt. I fear that there's going to be more.
I think that it's very well could be encouraged by others,
(08:31):
and that to me is very disgusting. I don't think
anybody should lose their life for wanting to hold political office.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
I agree. I think between now in November, I don't
think there's any question there will be more threats and attempts.
The Hollywood community knows the danger of stalkers. When Rebecca
Schaeffer was murdered, they rallied. They made sure that not
(09:01):
just California, but every state had stalking laws. But before
her murder, Georgia didn't even have a stalking law. It
was because of a young actress, Rebecca Schaeffer in California
that was murdered that we had that law developed for us.
Before that, we used to have to tell people, well,
(09:22):
wait till they do something, then call us. I mean,
we literally had to wait until somebody tried to kill
somebody before we could stop them from following them, harassing them,
and putting them under surveillance. We don't anymore. Both of
these potential killers stalked Trump. Before both of them stalked him,
(09:43):
they found out where he was going to be, They
did some recon of the area, they set up where
they were going to be, and take that fatal shot.
The latest one his cell phone hit at the golf
course twelve hours before Trump got there. That leads me
to the first real hard hitting question I have for
you after the first assassination attempt, how in the world
(10:06):
could any civilian find out where he was going to be?
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Well, again, I don't know what was made public or not,
or if they're just watching the motor keys or if
or you know, former President Trump plays golf on a
particular date at a particular time, So I don't know.
I don't know if it was patterns or what. But
the hideout on that golf course knowing he's going to
be there the next day, to me is very suspicious.
(10:31):
I don't really And not to mention, it's not like
he lives in Florida. It's not like he lives in
Palm Beach. He lived in North Carolina and prior to
this attempt was all the way out in Hawaii. So
how he had the wherewithal to know that I'm going
to go to the golf course and sit out in
this sniper's nest for twelve hours knowing he didn't get
(10:52):
lucky that he's going to be there that day. That's
now two assassination attempts where somebody has completely fooled the
Secret Service, evaded law enforcement, and went completely under the
radar on both attempts. But apparently had no other outside help.
(11:13):
And again I am not a conspiracy theorist, but to me,
it seems very strange. I mean, I live in Florida,
I'm down in Palm Beach all the time, and I
wouldn't know exactly where to go on that golf course
that would give me an opening and a clear shot.
So or do you even know that he's even going
to be in town or not be in town. I've
been down there before and I've seen the Secret Service
(11:33):
at the hotels or in and around because they're working
his detail. But to me, I found that to be
very suspicious. And now he's out there for twelve hours.
I know they've enhanced former President trump security detail a
little bit, but there's not nearly enough for the amount
of threats that are going on, and not to mention
(11:54):
would take a lot of people to secure that golf course.
But it also tells me that the Secret Service did
not do their internal and external sweeps prior to him
playing golf, which I would like an answer.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
For, right because he's sitting there and he couldn't have
followed the motorcade because he was already in place twelve
hours before. And to your point when we talked the
first time. One thing that I found fascinating as a child,
because we talked about I went to school with Amy Carter,
is that the Secret Service absolutely say sir, you're not
(12:26):
going on that course today, or we don't need to
bring you from this building to this building. We've got
to take you underground. They can make that decision. So
to me, after the first attempt, there should never be
he's going to have a standing tea time. Everything should
almost be a surprise to him where he's going to be.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
A little history lesson for anyone listening, especially the Secret
Service history lesson. But if you go back to when
Ronald Reagan was president, he was actually at a golf
course in Joe, Georgia, And this limo actually is in
this museum up at the Secret Service at the Trading Academy.
It's pretty cool. Back in the in the early eighties,
they used to make the presidentials calendar and schedule public
(13:11):
so people knew where they were going to be. That
obviously has since changed, but one of the reasons that
changed it was Ronald Reagan was actually playing golf in
Georgia and a because they had the you know, it
was public that he was going to be out on
the golf course, so the Secret Service was protecting him
as he's playing golf. In the middle of his round,
a crazy person and I do mean crazy person because
(13:33):
he was found to be mentally ill, showed up at
the clubhouse fully armed to take out President Reagan. Secret
Service immediately jumps in the match and takes the guy
down well, because there's an immediate threat. And again, just
because this person came into the clubhouse doesn't mean that
there's not a second person out there that they're working with,
or a third person. So they took this exact limo
(13:53):
that I'm going to send you a photo of after
this and drove it across the golf course where the
agent were notified of what was going on. They immediately
put him inside this limo, laid on top of him.
They stood on the ramps that are outside and on
the back of the limo and actually drove straight through
(14:13):
the fencing and onto the roadway and gone. And that
happened in Georgia. I want to say it was nineteen
eighty fourish eighty five ish under starting the date. So
after that they retired that limo, and that limo sits
in that little museum, which is which is, which is
fascinating to see it with your own eyes. And that
started changing the laws and making things public for the president.
(14:35):
They started changing how they were doing things because that's
how the person got to the intel. Well, they no
longer make it public. But again, how did this guy
know that Trump was going to play golf the very
next day and to sit out there in a sniper's
nest for twelve hours as he did waiting to me,
(14:56):
I find it kind of hard to believe that he
just randomly showed up there outside of this public access
road that should have been closed down to begin with,
especially after the first threat. And also I now know
that with knowledge that this isn't new information about this
public accessed road, there's actually a few vulnerabilities in and
around that golf course that should have been blocked off,
(15:21):
you know, access cut to it, or put some sort
of marked police or somebody to deter anyone from there.
But you most certainly have to sweep it, and it
was not swept, which tells me that they're probably too
shorthanded to be able to do so. But for this
person to sit there for twelve hours knowing the president's
going to play golf and not have found him well
(15:43):
before the president showed up is quite disturbing. Luckily, Luckily,
the Secret Service, as doing their protection, did do it
correctly on the physical protection of things by having agents
one or two holes ahead of where former President Trump
(16:04):
was on the golf course to be able to sweep
some of these vulnerabilities, which is how they came across that.
And had they have not known where these vulnerabilities were,
had this agent just been like, it's it's just a
rooutine day, it's hot out here, I'm ready to leave,
and not had looked where he was supposed to look,
may not have ever seen that, which would have put
the shooter within one hundred feet of former President Trump
(16:27):
and most certainly could have ended very poorly. So again,
I think there's a lot of answers that need to
be questioned as to why they didn't do their sweeps
prior to I have protected President Barack Obama when he
has played golf, whether it be in Palm Springs or
other locations, and we thoroughly sweep that golf course with
(16:48):
ca Nine dogs beforehand, afterhand, like everything, we do a
full sweep we know who's coming in, who's going to
be playing golf that day, who's not going to be
playing golf that day, whose tea times need to be
delayed in order to provide maximum protection for the protectee
or the president. And so I think they're doing the
(17:10):
best they can shorthanded, but there is clearly not enough
personnel attached to his detail in order to keep him
properly protected.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
And I'm going to go back to drones for a minute.
This potential murderer didn't walk there, he drove there. That
means there was also a vehicle in close proximity that
stayed twelve hours. Well they should have seen that too.
And to tell you a story, there was once I
was parked near the Atlanta Airport because I wanted to
(17:43):
get some really good shots of Air Force one coming
in and then the motorcade and then our officers at
my department closing down some intersections. I thought that would
be a great social media post. I had a Secret
Service agent come up to me because I was there
hours before and say you need to move your vehicle please,
(18:03):
which I promptly did. Because once he came up to me,
I realized, Yeah, this is not in a great place
for them. Keep in mind, it was a marked police
car and I was in uniform and we were helping
shut down the intersection. But still they needed me to
move for the best security possible. But somehow this man
(18:25):
was able to leave a vehicle.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Yeah, I mean, I think that vehicle was clearly in
close proximity. It was a public road. It was actually
him running after the shots were fired to that vehicle
to take off before the lady ended up kind of
chasing after him, so to speak, and getting the critical
(18:48):
photos or video that was given to law enforcement, so
they knew exactly who they were going after, what they
looked like, what they're wearing, vehicle they're driving. Did a
phenomenal job, put herself in harm's way. I mean, if
he took over for the Secret Service at that point,
and what a blessing that was to have had that.
But again, if they had done the proper sweeps, if
(19:10):
they had a drone flying in the air at the time,
especially in the evening hours, they could have had thermal
imagery on it that would be able to tell that, hey,
there's somebody hiding out by this fence line. Send somebody
to go check that out. There's numerous ways to do it.
But I feel like people are going to bash the
Secret Service, but I want people to understand that for
(19:32):
they are operating with not nearly enough personnel that they
need to handle the amount of threats and the amount
of coverage that former President Trump has and he's not
a sitting president, so he doesn't have access to the
entire Secret Service as he would if he was sitting president.
He has a detail, and they've expanded that detail, but
(19:53):
it's not nearly enough. But for those agents that are
working that detail in Palm Beach, Florida, I think are
doing a great job understaffed, and they need to realize
that the decisions of how much personnel are needed comes
from Washington, d C. It has nothing to do with
West Palm Beach, Florida. So I think those agents that
(20:15):
are out there working hours upon hours. I mean I've
seen I've seen guys in their in their you know,
the Emergency Response Team uniforms when I've been down there before,
that have completely sunburned everywhere but where their hat sits
on their head, and they are working their butts off
day in and day out. And I think those members
(20:36):
of the Secret Service are doing a tremendous job. Thank
god for an agent that is paying attention while patrolling
a couple of holes ahead of former President Trump to
notice what was going on at that fence line. Those
members that are actually doing the job every day are
doing a tremendous job. Those up in Washington, d C.
(20:57):
It's time to get your butts down there and actually
do some science avalance yourself.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Amen. Some site surveys agreed that agent on that golf course,
that was just almost a miracle that he could have
seen that barrel and he took action. He fired off
a shot. He wasn't playing with whoever was in the
bushes in the fence line, boots on the ground, they're
handling business.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Armchair quarterbacks up in DC though or not, they're they're
taking that political angle and sitting back and trying to
call the shots. And sometimes you got to get your
butt up, You gotta fly down there and you gotta
see what's going on. Again. This kind of goes back
to what happened in Butler, Pennsylvania. I was blown away,
(21:41):
Cheryl that nine days, nine days after the attempt, and
at that time, the director of the Secret Service hadn't
even been the Butler Pennsylvania. How in the world is
that possible. She didn't even speak to her agents that
were on the detail. Well three days later. At what
(22:02):
point do we sit there and say, Wow, I have
to be the leader. At this point, I need to
go down there and be the face of the Secret Service,
talk to these agents, walk what happened in Butler and
get a true understanding of what's going on, and be
forcing those to take action when they find criminal wrongdoing
with anybody had anything to do with it. I think
(22:23):
the same situation needs to happen here. I think Director
Rowe needs, if he has not already done so, needs
to be down there assessing what is going on in
Palm Beach and what exactly is needed. And I think
if anybody denies at this point two attempts, and I
promise you there's going to be more. I don't want
it to be, but I promise you there will be more.
(22:44):
And anyone that denies the additional coverage that is needed
for a former president has to be looked at as
to why why aren't they providing the assets that are
necessary to keep somebody safe. I would expect this for
any former president I would expect to performer President Barack Obama,
(23:04):
George Bush, Jim all of them, all of them. They
should be protected at all costs.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Without question. And that's why I say this is not political.
These are the leaders of our country and they should
not be in danger from the outside or in well.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
The thing that I see, Cheryl, is that I believe
decisions being made not giving assets. And the rhetoric is
because it's political. Your political beliefs are just that you
should be able to have healthy debates with people. You
should be able to disagree on topics, and that's okay.
That is your given right in the United States of
(23:44):
America to not agree on specific topics, that's okay. But
never is it okay to wish ill will and harm
or death on a political opponent or even just how
many times are you hearing where people getting in arguments
and shooting at each other or getting in physical altercations
because of what they believe politically, like, that's ridiculous. One
(24:07):
of my closest friends, I Love Him the Death, lives
in New York. He knows who I'm talking about when
he listens to this. Love Him the Death. We are
complete opposites when it coman on every topic in the world,
when it comes to anything political, and that's okay. I
still love him because, you know what, there's things that
I can learn on what his view is and things
that he can learn from mine. You have to be
okay with understanding that people have their own beliefs. That
(24:29):
is your constitutional right to believe what you want to believe.
But let's tone down the rhetoric. I don't think anybody
is a threat to democracy because they want to do
what is best in this country, right, doesn't matter what
side it is. Just like President Barack Obama did what
he thought was best for this country. You know, Joe
(24:50):
Biden's doing what he think is best for this country.
President Trump did what he thinks is best for this country.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Tone it down, people, here's the real irony to me.
The Secret Service your job. If you just break it down,
if I had to tell somebody in one sentence, the
Secret Service versus the FBI, you are going to put yourself,
(25:16):
your body in front of a person to save their life.
That person you could disagree with politically, ethically, morally, it
doesn't even matter if it's a head of our country.
Jim you would do it for the head of state
of a foreign country. That to me is what is
(25:38):
so crazy about. The people that are protecting former President Trump,
former President Obama, the people that are protecting the children
right now. They don't care what any belief system is,
what any political belief is, what any religious belief is.
You will protect them with your own life.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Absolutely. You know, when we take our oath of office
and the Secret Service, we're protecting the office of the
President of the United States. It doesn't matter what political
side they're on or anything else. You're protecting the office
of the President of the United States. And when we
talk about protecting you know, foreign presidents or prime ministers,
because Secret Service, anytime a number one or a number
(26:22):
two comes to the United States from another country, we
provide protection. That's exactly what's going on right now in
New York City at the UN Summit is the Secret
Service providing protections every number one and number two from
all around the world. So you know, we take that
job very very seriously. And much like when we talked
last time, Cheryl, and where I think the direction in
(26:44):
some of the changes you have to change with the times,
and I think it's time that the United States Secret
Service changes with the times, and for those that do
not know, the Secret Service has an investigative section, right
money laundering, counterfeit money machines, white collar crimes, and things
like that, you have protection. I believe the Secret Service
(27:05):
should just be protection. They shouldn't do any of the
investigating on the counterfeit. I think you can create another
division that's similar to the Secret Service that with the
Treasury that can deal with all of that. But I
think the men and women that you hire in the
United States Secret Service should be one hundred percent protection.
That should be the only thing that they do. And
(27:26):
now you're freeing up hundreds upon hundreds of agents that
are stuck doing investigations and now they can districtly be
on the protection And maybe that's a quick fix to
be able to provide additional resources that are needed on
these protection details. I get it, you know there is
(27:46):
somebody needs to investigate the money laundering, the counterfeit money
machines and things such as that, But I think you
need to make that into a different a different branch
and a different division. Those members of the Secret Service
should strictly be one hundred percent protection.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
I think that's a great start. Because if you spend
four years working counterfeit money and then the very next
week you're protecting the president, that's a little bit of
a shift. It should be one in one side only.
It should be just the protection. I agree with you.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Yeah, I think that's what that's what needs to happen,
and I hope it's something that they look at here
in the in the future. And you know, you got
a bunch of dedicated men and women that are that
are willing to do this twenty four hours a day,
seven days a week. And you know, we live in
a different time, you know, between the Internet and access
that they get of being able to use Google, earth
Maps and other intel gathering tools that are out there.
(28:37):
You know, we have to be able to counteract that.
How do you counteract that, Well, you have to beef
up security. How do you beef up security in the
quickest way with people that are qualified and trained. Stop
worrying about the counterfeit money machine and pass that on
to the Department of Treasury, pass that on to somebody
else that can that can sit there and you know,
hire specifically to work to look into that.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
All right, So I know you said or not in
the conspiracy business. But I have to ask you, with
this second attempt and the arrest, is Blackrock a connection?
Speaker 2 (29:09):
Again, I don't have definitive info on that. I've heard
it rumored. I don't know, and if you happen to know,
please please let me know. But I haven't heard definitively
that this person has connections with Blackrock or have been
in a black Rock commercial or anything like that. But
it's hard for me, having done this job, to know
(29:32):
that a twenty year old was able to outsmart, outwit,
and completely bypass any and all security features in Butler,
Pennsylvania to get off the attempt that he did without
some sort of inside help. Again Nope. I the person
that went on the roof afterwards in a suit and
asked people to send them photos, who then were actually disappeared,
(29:53):
and then was contacted who was apparently an ATF agent,
and then all of a sudden goes completely dark. I
mean that phone or doesn't even exist anymore. How does
that even possible? Right? And now you take the second
attempt with a person who doesn't even live in Palm Beach, Florida.
You ask the majority of the people if they've never
been to Palm Beach, Florida. You think they would know
(30:14):
that there's a public road in an easy access way
on the fifth or sixth hole of Hey, I can
create a sniper's nest here without some sort of knowledge
and then taking a guess, you know what, I think
I'm going to go down the Palm Beach in two
weeks from now. I think he's going to play golf
on a Saturday or a Sunday, so I should go
and hide out at this location on that specific date
and hope I get lucky. How is that possible that
(30:36):
this guy was put into that position at that location,
doesn't even live there, and President Trump is playing golf
and he's two holes behind or a hole behind before
encountering that secret service agent. To me, I just don't
see how that is possible without being tipped off from someone.
(30:57):
That's just my belief. I try not to be a conspiraist.
To me, I don't see how somebody can get get
lucky like that, not once, but twice. I'm the same guy.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
I tell you, I think I'm as frustrated with some
of our famous folks from Hollywood and in the music
industry as much as anybody. But to me, again, whether
it's Robert de Niro threatening to punch Trump or Madonna
wanting to blow up the White House, or Johnny Depp
talking about it's been a while since an actor assassinated
(31:28):
the president. You know, these people, they're not brave. They're
not doing anybody any service by saying these things. What
they're doing is feeding somebody that is mentally not well
and could potentially do great harm. And you know, listen,
I'll just say it this way. Johnny Depp let somebody
(31:50):
defecate in his bed and didn't do anything about it.
I don't think he's going to go assassinate anybody, but
I do think he should keep his mouth shut. Anytime
you are advocating violence and you have a platform that substantial,
you are putting people in danger.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
I agree, you know, it's it's it's easy for them
to make comments like that when they're protected by a
fifteen to twenty person you know, security detail around the
clock along with their you know, their their firearms and
everything else their arm security. So yeah, they feel pretty
well protected when they have that all the time. I
(32:30):
think they get a false sense of reality and a
false sense of security because if that security group walked
away from them, they had to go in public all alone,
I'm sure they wouldn't be making a comment like that.
They're going to be looking for that type of security.
It's the same ones that are politicians that have been
out there saying, you know about you know, taking away
firearms for some people that are being protected and whatnot.
When they're sitting behind their mansions with everybody loaded up
(32:53):
in firearms ready all the time to provide them protection.
It's easy to say that when you currently have it
in your living in that environment of just a false
sense of security, you know. So I think a reality
check needs to come in at some point, and you
know that's on them to figure out their own moral
compass on how they want to how they want to
approach it. But the info you put out there can
(33:15):
lead to somebody else's harm, and that's just really unfair.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
Amen, Jim, I just appreciate you so much your willingness
to come and talk to us about a second attempt
on the life of former President Trump, and again thank
you for your service to our country.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
Well, it's my pleasure again, thank you so much for
having me. Hopefully there'll be no more assassination attempts or
an assassination that we need to come on Zone seven
and talk about. But I'm always willing to come on
and talk to you, guests and followers and provide any
insight and info that I have on anything ridging from
(33:54):
the Secret Service to just law enforcement overall. So greatly
appreciate you having me and calling on me has always
it's great to keep up with you.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
I'm going to end Zone seven the way that I
always do with a quote, There's nothing more powerful than
a person with something or someone to fight for. Jim Rathman.
I'm Cheryl McCollum, and this is Zone seven
Jim Rathman is back. He discussed the first assassination attempt beautifully.
He is back today to try to clear up and
explain what has happened a second time to former President Trump.
If you haven't heard that first episode, he fills in
(00:31):
so many gaps and holes. He touches on conspiracies, he
breaks down facts. Go now Part one and Part two. Unbelievably,
we've had a second attempt on the life of former
President Donald Trump. Y'all know Jim Rathman, former investigator, former
(00:53):
law enforcement officer, Army veteran, and most importantly for our
conversation tonight, Jim is a former United States Secret Service agent. Jim,
welcome to Zone seven.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Well, Cheryl, thank you so much for having me back.
It's great to be back on Zone seven. I just
wish the circumstances were a little different.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
It's mind boggling. I mean, you and I talked about it.
Copycats are always a concern. You prepare for it, but
pray it doesn't happen. And here within weeks we've had
a second attempt.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
It's crazy to me, and unfortunately I don't think this
is the last attempt either. And it's mind blowing how
things are going right now. But we have to look
at the state affairs in the country and not to
get all political, but it be the rhetoric going back
and forth on both sides or both parties. I mean,
it's disturbing. I think that might be the best word
(01:49):
for me to be able to use in this, because
it doesn't matter what side of the aisle you're on.
It's happening to both parties and it's got to stop.
And we got to stand on principles, man, And I
think we got to tell down the rhetoric and get
through the principles of what makes us country great and
what can help our country be great, no matter what
that looks like. But unfortunately now I think we're inciting
a bunch of crazies out there that feel like they're
(02:12):
doing some sort of good by going out and creating
these assassination attempts. And it's just a very scary world
to live in right now.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
And I want to be so clear, this to me
is murder. It has nothing to do with politics. For me,
you are talking about somebody that is plotting, planning, and
then doing overt actions to murder someone. This particular victim
(02:41):
happens to be a political figure. But the reality is, Jim,
if this were somebody that was famous for singing, or
an actor or an athlete, it would be the same response.
For me, It is never okay. Murder is never okay.
Don't care what your sexual orientation is, your religion, your race,
(03:05):
your political beliefs. That to me is not even secondary. That,
to me, is not even on the list of reasons
that it would be okay for you to take the
life of another person. So this happens to be a
former president, but Nate, to me, make no mistake, this
is a murder plot.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
I happen to agree with you fully. I mean, I
don't think murder is ever accomptable, much like what you
just said when we talk about public figures, whether that's
political or a singer, actor, actress, any of the sorts.
Whenever you've heard of these stories, which that has happened
many times in our past, always restraining orders and various things,
you'll notice a common pattern, and the common pattern it's
(03:49):
usually somebody with mental illness. It's usually somebody that's that's
not thinking clearly and then in their own delusional fantasy
world that they're living in they think it's okay to
break into There was an actress a few years ago
that had somebody actually break into her home. You know,
there's some very I mean stuff's happened to what Taylor
Swift and I think there's other actors, actresses, singers that
(04:13):
have happened to And now you have the same type
of thing happening to former President Trump. And much like
this most recent assassination attempt, which it is, Ryan Ruth
is as I say, the last name Ruth Ralph. He is,
in my opinion, mentally ill. You look at what he's
done in the past. He's been arrested multiple times, weapons charges,
(04:34):
stolen vehicles. There's even a report on him being arrested
for weapons of mass destruction in two thousand and two
with an explosive device. You know, clearly he's not in
the right frame of mind. It's it's clearly a cat
and mouse game for him. Let me be, let me
voice my stuff out on social media, and let me
(04:56):
act in these crazy, delusional ways as if he's unstoppable, untouchable.
We are incredibly lucky that a very alert Secret Service agent,
while patrolling the whole of head the golf hole ahead
of President Trump getting to that location, just so happened
to notice the end of a weapon, a rifle which
(05:18):
was an AK forty seven, sticking out through the fence
and was able to prevent President Trump or former President
Trump from being assassinated.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
That's right. And you know you mentioned a few actors
and so forth that have had people break into their homes. Listen,
Madonna had a stalker that was extremely dangerous, in my opinion,
extremely was able to gain access to her house more
than once. But Madonna has said and I quote, I
(05:49):
thought about blowing up the White House end quote. That
is not okay. And she, of all people should understand
how dangerous those type statements are because when somebody suffering
with mental illness, here's that that fuels them by saying, well,
Madonna agrees with me. And you know, you've got folks
(06:10):
like Mickey Rourke and Rosie o'donald and saying things that
to me should warrant the Secret Service knocking on their door.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
I agree completely. I mean, you can't make comments like that,
no matter how famous you are, you can't. I mean,
Robert de Niro has this fair share of things to
say as well. The list goes on and on again.
It comes back to the rhetoric that's being put out there,
and you know, it goes both sides. I'm not just
saying that there's a lot of political rhetoric that goes
(06:38):
towards former President Trump, although there is, but there's also
political retic that comes from the other side at the
Democratic Party, and at some point or another, you have
to evaluate and make your comments, to speak on principles
for what somebody stands and believes in and how they're
going to better this country and whatever that looks like.
But what we're doing right now, calling people threats and
(07:01):
you know, thrust to democracy threast to society, that is fire.
And we got to stop putting gasoline on the fire
and letting it ignite because it's excited all these crazies
and now want to come forward and try to take
action on it. Again, Just like you said, with Madonna
making those kind of words, that absolutely warranted some sort
of conversation from the United States Secret Service because there's
(07:24):
somebody out there that's going to listen to every single
word that she has to say. And now thinking that's
the justification to go ahead and do this and vice versa.
It's got to stop.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
And Johnny Depp, I mean, good lord. He went as
far as to say, you know, how long has it
been since an actor assassinated a president? It might be time.
What in the world that, to me should warrant more
than a knock on his door.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
It's an arrestable offense and these times, until they, you know,
make an example out of a few, it won't stop.
But you can't dictate what the law is based on
who they are. The law is specific and written for
its intended purpose. You have to enforce it, and that's
what they're supposed to do. And the moment we start
(08:11):
operating in the gray as opposed to very black and
white on what that is, you're going to continue to
get more and more of it. So hopefully people will
start toning it down. You know, the elections are coming
and my fear. My fear is that this isn't the
last attempt. I fear that there's going to be more.
I think that it's very well could be encouraged by others,
(08:31):
and that to me is very disgusting. I don't think
anybody should lose their life for wanting to hold political office.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
I agree. I think between now in November, I don't
think there's any question there will be more threats and attempts.
The Hollywood community knows the danger of stalkers. When Rebecca
Schaeffer was murdered, they rallied. They made sure that not
(09:01):
just California, but every state had stalking laws. But before
her murder, Georgia didn't even have a stalking law. It
was because of a young actress, Rebecca Schaeffer in California
that was murdered that we had that law developed for us.
Before that, we used to have to tell people, well,
(09:22):
wait till they do something, then call us. I mean,
we literally had to wait until somebody tried to kill
somebody before we could stop them from following them, harassing them,
and putting them under surveillance. We don't anymore. Both of
these potential killers stalked Trump. Before both of them stalked him,
(09:43):
they found out where he was going to be, They
did some recon of the area, they set up where
they were going to be, and take that fatal shot.
The latest one his cell phone hit at the golf
course twelve hours before Trump got there. That leads me
to the first real hard hitting question I have for
you after the first assassination attempt, how in the world
(10:06):
could any civilian find out where he was going to be?
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Well, again, I don't know what was made public or not,
or if they're just watching the motor keys or if
or you know, former President Trump plays golf on a
particular date at a particular time, So I don't know.
I don't know if it was patterns or what. But
the hideout on that golf course knowing he's going to
be there the next day, to me is very suspicious.
(10:31):
I don't really And not to mention, it's not like
he lives in Florida. It's not like he lives in
Palm Beach. He lived in North Carolina and prior to
this attempt was all the way out in Hawaii. So
how he had the wherewithal to know that I'm going
to go to the golf course and sit out in
this sniper's nest for twelve hours knowing he didn't get
(10:52):
lucky that he's going to be there that day. That's
now two assassination attempts where somebody has completely fooled the
Secret Service, evaded law enforcement, and went completely under the
radar on both attempts. But apparently had no other outside help.
(11:13):
And again I am not a conspiracy theorist, but to me,
it seems very strange. I mean, I live in Florida,
I'm down in Palm Beach all the time, and I
wouldn't know exactly where to go on that golf course
that would give me an opening and a clear shot.
So or do you even know that he's even going
to be in town or not be in town. I've
been down there before and I've seen the Secret Service
(11:33):
at the hotels or in and around because they're working
his detail. But to me, I found that to be
very suspicious. And now he's out there for twelve hours.
I know they've enhanced former President trump security detail a
little bit, but there's not nearly enough for the amount
of threats that are going on, and not to mention
(11:54):
would take a lot of people to secure that golf course.
But it also tells me that the Secret Service did
not do their internal and external sweeps prior to him
playing golf, which I would like an answer.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
For, right because he's sitting there and he couldn't have
followed the motorcade because he was already in place twelve
hours before. And to your point when we talked the
first time. One thing that I found fascinating as a child,
because we talked about I went to school with Amy Carter,
is that the Secret Service absolutely say sir, you're not
(12:26):
going on that course today, or we don't need to
bring you from this building to this building. We've got
to take you underground. They can make that decision. So
to me, after the first attempt, there should never be
he's going to have a standing tea time. Everything should
almost be a surprise to him where he's going to be.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
A little history lesson for anyone listening, especially the Secret
Service history lesson. But if you go back to when
Ronald Reagan was president, he was actually at a golf
course in Joe, Georgia, And this limo actually is in
this museum up at the Secret Service at the Trading Academy.
It's pretty cool. Back in the in the early eighties,
they used to make the presidentials calendar and schedule public
(13:11):
so people knew where they were going to be. That
obviously has since changed, but one of the reasons that
changed it was Ronald Reagan was actually playing golf in
Georgia and a because they had the you know, it
was public that he was going to be out on
the golf course, so the Secret Service was protecting him
as he's playing golf. In the middle of his round,
a crazy person and I do mean crazy person because
(13:33):
he was found to be mentally ill, showed up at
the clubhouse fully armed to take out President Reagan. Secret
Service immediately jumps in the match and takes the guy
down well, because there's an immediate threat. And again, just
because this person came into the clubhouse doesn't mean that
there's not a second person out there that they're working with,
or a third person. So they took this exact limo
(13:53):
that I'm going to send you a photo of after
this and drove it across the golf course where the
agent were notified of what was going on. They immediately
put him inside this limo, laid on top of him.
They stood on the ramps that are outside and on
the back of the limo and actually drove straight through
(14:13):
the fencing and onto the roadway and gone. And that
happened in Georgia. I want to say it was nineteen
eighty fourish eighty five ish under starting the date. So
after that they retired that limo, and that limo sits
in that little museum, which is which is, which is
fascinating to see it with your own eyes. And that
started changing the laws and making things public for the president.
(14:35):
They started changing how they were doing things because that's
how the person got to the intel. Well, they no
longer make it public. But again, how did this guy
know that Trump was going to play golf the very
next day and to sit out there in a sniper's
nest for twelve hours as he did waiting to me,
(14:56):
I find it kind of hard to believe that he
just randomly showed up there outside of this public access
road that should have been closed down to begin with,
especially after the first threat. And also I now know
that with knowledge that this isn't new information about this
public accessed road, there's actually a few vulnerabilities in and
around that golf course that should have been blocked off,
(15:21):
you know, access cut to it, or put some sort
of marked police or somebody to deter anyone from there.
But you most certainly have to sweep it, and it
was not swept, which tells me that they're probably too
shorthanded to be able to do so. But for this
person to sit there for twelve hours knowing the president's
going to play golf and not have found him well
(15:43):
before the president showed up is quite disturbing. Luckily, Luckily,
the Secret Service, as doing their protection, did do it
correctly on the physical protection of things by having agents
one or two holes ahead of where former President Trump
(16:04):
was on the golf course to be able to sweep
some of these vulnerabilities, which is how they came across that.
And had they have not known where these vulnerabilities were,
had this agent just been like, it's it's just a
rooutine day, it's hot out here, I'm ready to leave,
and not had looked where he was supposed to look,
may not have ever seen that, which would have put
the shooter within one hundred feet of former President Trump
(16:27):
and most certainly could have ended very poorly. So again,
I think there's a lot of answers that need to
be questioned as to why they didn't do their sweeps
prior to I have protected President Barack Obama when he
has played golf, whether it be in Palm Springs or
other locations, and we thoroughly sweep that golf course with
(16:48):
ca Nine dogs beforehand, afterhand, like everything, we do a
full sweep we know who's coming in, who's going to
be playing golf that day, who's not going to be
playing golf that day, whose tea times need to be
delayed in order to provide maximum protection for the protectee
or the president. And so I think they're doing the
(17:10):
best they can shorthanded, but there is clearly not enough
personnel attached to his detail in order to keep him
properly protected.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
And I'm going to go back to drones for a minute.
This potential murderer didn't walk there, he drove there. That
means there was also a vehicle in close proximity that
stayed twelve hours. Well they should have seen that too.
And to tell you a story, there was once I
was parked near the Atlanta Airport because I wanted to
(17:43):
get some really good shots of Air Force one coming
in and then the motorcade and then our officers at
my department closing down some intersections. I thought that would
be a great social media post. I had a Secret
Service agent come up to me because I was there
hours before and say you need to move your vehicle please,
(18:03):
which I promptly did. Because once he came up to me,
I realized, Yeah, this is not in a great place
for them. Keep in mind, it was a marked police
car and I was in uniform and we were helping
shut down the intersection. But still they needed me to
move for the best security possible. But somehow this man
(18:25):
was able to leave a vehicle.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Yeah, I mean, I think that vehicle was clearly in
close proximity. It was a public road. It was actually
him running after the shots were fired to that vehicle
to take off before the lady ended up kind of
chasing after him, so to speak, and getting the critical
(18:48):
photos or video that was given to law enforcement, so
they knew exactly who they were going after, what they
looked like, what they're wearing, vehicle they're driving. Did a
phenomenal job, put herself in harm's way. I mean, if
he took over for the Secret Service at that point,
and what a blessing that was to have had that.
But again, if they had done the proper sweeps, if
(19:10):
they had a drone flying in the air at the time,
especially in the evening hours, they could have had thermal
imagery on it that would be able to tell that, hey,
there's somebody hiding out by this fence line. Send somebody
to go check that out. There's numerous ways to do it.
But I feel like people are going to bash the
Secret Service, but I want people to understand that for
(19:32):
they are operating with not nearly enough personnel that they
need to handle the amount of threats and the amount
of coverage that former President Trump has and he's not
a sitting president, so he doesn't have access to the
entire Secret Service as he would if he was sitting president.
He has a detail, and they've expanded that detail, but
(19:53):
it's not nearly enough. But for those agents that are
working that detail in Palm Beach, Florida, I think are
doing a great job understaffed, and they need to realize
that the decisions of how much personnel are needed comes
from Washington, d C. It has nothing to do with
West Palm Beach, Florida. So I think those agents that
(20:15):
are out there working hours upon hours. I mean I've
seen I've seen guys in their in their you know,
the Emergency Response Team uniforms when I've been down there before,
that have completely sunburned everywhere but where their hat sits
on their head, and they are working their butts off
day in and day out. And I think those members
(20:36):
of the Secret Service are doing a tremendous job. Thank
god for an agent that is paying attention while patrolling
a couple of holes ahead of former President Trump to
notice what was going on at that fence line. Those
members that are actually doing the job every day are
doing a tremendous job. Those up in Washington, d C.
(20:57):
It's time to get your butts down there and actually
do some science avalance yourself.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Amen. Some site surveys agreed that agent on that golf course,
that was just almost a miracle that he could have
seen that barrel and he took action. He fired off
a shot. He wasn't playing with whoever was in the
bushes in the fence line, boots on the ground, they're
handling business.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Armchair quarterbacks up in DC though or not, they're they're
taking that political angle and sitting back and trying to
call the shots. And sometimes you got to get your
butt up, You gotta fly down there and you gotta
see what's going on. Again. This kind of goes back
to what happened in Butler, Pennsylvania. I was blown away,
(21:41):
Cheryl that nine days, nine days after the attempt, and
at that time, the director of the Secret Service hadn't
even been the Butler Pennsylvania. How in the world is
that possible. She didn't even speak to her agents that
were on the detail. Well three days later. At what
(22:02):
point do we sit there and say, Wow, I have
to be the leader. At this point, I need to
go down there and be the face of the Secret Service,
talk to these agents, walk what happened in Butler and
get a true understanding of what's going on, and be
forcing those to take action when they find criminal wrongdoing
with anybody had anything to do with it. I think
(22:23):
the same situation needs to happen here. I think Director
Rowe needs, if he has not already done so, needs
to be down there assessing what is going on in
Palm Beach and what exactly is needed. And I think
if anybody denies at this point two attempts, and I
promise you there's going to be more. I don't want
it to be, but I promise you there will be more.
(22:44):
And anyone that denies the additional coverage that is needed
for a former president has to be looked at as
to why why aren't they providing the assets that are
necessary to keep somebody safe. I would expect this for
any former president I would expect to performer President Barack Obama,
(23:04):
George Bush, Jim all of them, all of them. They
should be protected at all costs.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Without question. And that's why I say this is not political.
These are the leaders of our country and they should
not be in danger from the outside or in well.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
The thing that I see, Cheryl, is that I believe
decisions being made not giving assets. And the rhetoric is
because it's political. Your political beliefs are just that you
should be able to have healthy debates with people. You
should be able to disagree on topics, and that's okay.
That is your given right in the United States of
(23:44):
America to not agree on specific topics, that's okay. But
never is it okay to wish ill will and harm
or death on a political opponent or even just how
many times are you hearing where people getting in arguments
and shooting at each other or getting in physical altercations
because of what they believe politically, like, that's ridiculous. One
(24:07):
of my closest friends, I Love Him the Death, lives
in New York. He knows who I'm talking about when
he listens to this. Love Him the Death. We are
complete opposites when it coman on every topic in the world,
when it comes to anything political, and that's okay. I
still love him because, you know what, there's things that
I can learn on what his view is and things
that he can learn from mine. You have to be
okay with understanding that people have their own beliefs. That
(24:29):
is your constitutional right to believe what you want to believe.
But let's tone down the rhetoric. I don't think anybody
is a threat to democracy because they want to do
what is best in this country, right, doesn't matter what
side it is. Just like President Barack Obama did what
he thought was best for this country. You know, Joe
(24:50):
Biden's doing what he think is best for this country.
President Trump did what he thinks is best for this country.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Tone it down, people, here's the real irony to me.
The Secret Service your job. If you just break it down,
if I had to tell somebody in one sentence, the
Secret Service versus the FBI, you are going to put yourself,
(25:16):
your body in front of a person to save their life.
That person you could disagree with politically, ethically, morally, it
doesn't even matter if it's a head of our country.
Jim you would do it for the head of state
of a foreign country. That to me is what is
(25:38):
so crazy about. The people that are protecting former President Trump,
former President Obama, the people that are protecting the children
right now. They don't care what any belief system is,
what any political belief is, what any religious belief is.
You will protect them with your own life.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Absolutely. You know, when we take our oath of office
and the Secret Service, we're protecting the office of the
President of the United States. It doesn't matter what political
side they're on or anything else. You're protecting the office
of the President of the United States. And when we
talk about protecting you know, foreign presidents or prime ministers,
because Secret Service, anytime a number one or a number
(26:22):
two comes to the United States from another country, we
provide protection. That's exactly what's going on right now in
New York City at the UN Summit is the Secret
Service providing protections every number one and number two from
all around the world. So you know, we take that
job very very seriously. And much like when we talked
last time, Cheryl, and where I think the direction in
(26:44):
some of the changes you have to change with the times,
and I think it's time that the United States Secret
Service changes with the times, and for those that do
not know, the Secret Service has an investigative section, right
money laundering, counterfeit money machines, white collar crimes, and things
like that, you have protection. I believe the Secret Service
(27:05):
should just be protection. They shouldn't do any of the
investigating on the counterfeit. I think you can create another
division that's similar to the Secret Service that with the
Treasury that can deal with all of that. But I
think the men and women that you hire in the
United States Secret Service should be one hundred percent protection.
That should be the only thing that they do. And
(27:26):
now you're freeing up hundreds upon hundreds of agents that
are stuck doing investigations and now they can districtly be
on the protection And maybe that's a quick fix to
be able to provide additional resources that are needed on
these protection details. I get it, you know there is
(27:46):
somebody needs to investigate the money laundering, the counterfeit money
machines and things such as that, But I think you
need to make that into a different a different branch
and a different division. Those members of the Secret Service
should strictly be one hundred percent protection.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
I think that's a great start. Because if you spend
four years working counterfeit money and then the very next
week you're protecting the president, that's a little bit of
a shift. It should be one in one side only.
It should be just the protection. I agree with you.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Yeah, I think that's what that's what needs to happen,
and I hope it's something that they look at here
in the in the future. And you know, you got
a bunch of dedicated men and women that are that
are willing to do this twenty four hours a day,
seven days a week. And you know, we live in
a different time, you know, between the Internet and access
that they get of being able to use Google, earth
Maps and other intel gathering tools that are out there.
(28:37):
You know, we have to be able to counteract that.
How do you counteract that, Well, you have to beef
up security. How do you beef up security in the
quickest way with people that are qualified and trained. Stop
worrying about the counterfeit money machine and pass that on
to the Department of Treasury, pass that on to somebody
else that can that can sit there and you know,
hire specifically to work to look into that.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
All right, So I know you said or not in
the conspiracy business. But I have to ask you, with
this second attempt and the arrest, is Blackrock a connection?
Speaker 2 (29:09):
Again, I don't have definitive info on that. I've heard
it rumored. I don't know, and if you happen to know,
please please let me know. But I haven't heard definitively
that this person has connections with Blackrock or have been
in a black Rock commercial or anything like that. But
it's hard for me, having done this job, to know
(29:32):
that a twenty year old was able to outsmart, outwit,
and completely bypass any and all security features in Butler,
Pennsylvania to get off the attempt that he did without
some sort of inside help. Again Nope. I the person
that went on the roof afterwards in a suit and
asked people to send them photos, who then were actually disappeared,
(29:53):
and then was contacted who was apparently an ATF agent,
and then all of a sudden goes completely dark. I
mean that phone or doesn't even exist anymore. How does
that even possible? Right? And now you take the second
attempt with a person who doesn't even live in Palm Beach, Florida.
You ask the majority of the people if they've never
been to Palm Beach, Florida. You think they would know
(30:14):
that there's a public road in an easy access way
on the fifth or sixth hole of Hey, I can
create a sniper's nest here without some sort of knowledge
and then taking a guess, you know what, I think
I'm going to go down the Palm Beach in two
weeks from now. I think he's going to play golf
on a Saturday or a Sunday, so I should go
and hide out at this location on that specific date
and hope I get lucky. How is that possible that
(30:36):
this guy was put into that position at that location,
doesn't even live there, and President Trump is playing golf
and he's two holes behind or a hole behind before
encountering that secret service agent. To me, I just don't
see how that is possible without being tipped off from someone.
(30:57):
That's just my belief. I try not to be a conspiraist.
To me, I don't see how somebody can get get
lucky like that, not once, but twice. I'm the same guy.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
I tell you, I think I'm as frustrated with some
of our famous folks from Hollywood and in the music
industry as much as anybody. But to me, again, whether
it's Robert de Niro threatening to punch Trump or Madonna
wanting to blow up the White House, or Johnny Depp
talking about it's been a while since an actor assassinated
(31:28):
the president. You know, these people, they're not brave. They're
not doing anybody any service by saying these things. What
they're doing is feeding somebody that is mentally not well
and could potentially do great harm. And you know, listen,
I'll just say it this way. Johnny Depp let somebody
(31:50):
defecate in his bed and didn't do anything about it.
I don't think he's going to go assassinate anybody, but
I do think he should keep his mouth shut. Anytime
you are advocating violence and you have a platform that substantial,
you are putting people in danger.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
I agree, you know, it's it's it's easy for them
to make comments like that when they're protected by a
fifteen to twenty person you know, security detail around the
clock along with their you know, their their firearms and
everything else their arm security. So yeah, they feel pretty
well protected when they have that all the time. I
(32:30):
think they get a false sense of reality and a
false sense of security because if that security group walked
away from them, they had to go in public all alone,
I'm sure they wouldn't be making a comment like that.
They're going to be looking for that type of security.
It's the same ones that are politicians that have been
out there saying, you know about you know, taking away
firearms for some people that are being protected and whatnot.
When they're sitting behind their mansions with everybody loaded up
(32:53):
in firearms ready all the time to provide them protection.
It's easy to say that when you currently have it
in your living in that environment of just a false
sense of security, you know. So I think a reality
check needs to come in at some point, and you
know that's on them to figure out their own moral
compass on how they want to how they want to
approach it. But the info you put out there can
(33:15):
lead to somebody else's harm, and that's just really unfair.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
Amen, Jim, I just appreciate you so much your willingness
to come and talk to us about a second attempt
on the life of former President Trump, and again thank
you for your service to our country.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
Well, it's my pleasure again, thank you so much for
having me. Hopefully there'll be no more assassination attempts or
an assassination that we need to come on Zone seven
and talk about. But I'm always willing to come on
and talk to you, guests and followers and provide any
insight and info that I have on anything ridging from
(33:54):
the Secret Service to just law enforcement overall. So greatly
appreciate you having me and calling on me has always
it's great to keep up with you.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
I'm going to end Zone seven the way that I
always do with a quote, There's nothing more powerful than
a person with something or someone to fight for. Jim Rathman.
I'm Cheryl McCollum, and this is Zone seven
Host
Sheryl McCollum
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