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Alina Habba calls Trump assassination attempts an 'embarrassment' to Biden administration

By Filip Timotija - 9/21/24, 4:16 PM EDT

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Alina Habba, one of former President Trump's attorneys, called the GOP nominee’s assassination attempts an “embarrassment” to President Biden’s administration.  

Trump’s 2024 senior adviser said “politics” is getting in the way of safety and alleged that Secret Service assets are being undercut when tasked with protecting the ex-president.  

“No president in this country, and I mean, no president, Republican or Democrat should be in this situation, not once, but twice,” Habba said during her Friday appearance on “Jesse Watters Primetime” with Fox News host Jesse Watters. 

“It's an embarrassment to our country. It's an embarrassment to President Trump,” she continued. “It's an embarrassment frankly, to Harris and Biden, because they're the ones in charge right now, and denying assets to a president and future, frankly, future president and the candidate that's doing the best right now is a serious concern of mine.” 

“But when you aren't given tools to protect a former president, a future president, a candidate, anybody in this country, that's a problem. That's a problem by this administration.” 

Habba’s remarks come less than a week after a Secret Service agent engaged with a suspected gunman at Trump’s International Golf Club in Florida on Sept. 15. Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, is accused of pushing the muzzle of a rifle through the fence along the perimeter of Trump’s golf course. He was arrested by local authorities after fleeing the scene. He was charged with two federal gun crimes Monday. 

Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe told reporters Monday that Trump had the same level of protection at the time of the golf course incident as President Biden and Vice President Harris. 

“Secret Service moved to sustain increases in assets and the level of protection … and those things were in place yesterday,” he said.

“The president is aware that he has the highest levels of protection that Secret Service is providing him. …There’s a lot of tactical assets in place, things that have been put in place as a result of what happened 60 days ago. Those elements are working,” he added.

The House passed a bill on Friday that would expand the former president’s security in light of the threats. The measure, which had zero detractors, is now headed to the Senate. It was introduced by Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.). 

“So I want to be clear on where I stand,” she said. “I love the agents that help us. I love police and anybody that devotes their time away from their family to protect all of us, that includes the police, because, as you know, we don't defund the police, but we got a real problem here.” 

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