House Republicans intensify probe into alleged attempt to assassinate Trump
House Republicans are intensifying their efforts to investigate the recent attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and the apparent security breaches that allowed a gunman to endanger the GOP presidential nominee. Lawmakers from both parties have shown concern regarding how the assailant, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, managed to shoot at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania, injuring the former president, causing the death of one attendee, and seriously harming two others. Republicans are focusing their frustration on federal law enforcement authorities, even demanding the resignation of agency heads.
Speaker Mike Johnson declared his intention on Wednesday to establish a special task force within the House to dig into the attack on Trump. In a social media post, Johnson emphasized the necessity of obtaining answers to the unsettling security oversights. Johnson went on to discuss the task force in further detail on Fox News, revealing that it would be initiated on Monday. He described it as a “precision strike,” indicating that the investigative team would sidestep procedural barriers typically present in Congress and operate swiftly. The task force is designed to be bipartisan in nature, involving both Republican and Democratic members.
The Louisiana Republican disclosed that he engaged in conversations with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, expressing discontent with the responses he received regarding the attack. Johnson also disclosed dialogues with law enforcement officials, underscoring the lack of satisfactory explanations for the incident. He firmly stated his intention to demand Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle’s resignation.
Simultaneously, the House Judiciary Committee disclosed plans to convene a hearing in the upcoming week on the FBI’s handling of the attempted assassination. FBI Director Christopher Wray is expected to provide testimony during this session. These initiatives are being rolled out alongside a series of scheduled hearings aimed at scrutinizing agency leaders concerning the security lapses. The House Oversight Committee summoned Cheatle to testify on July 22, issuing a subpoena as a precaution when her attendance was at risk. Committee chairman James Comer stressed the public’s desire for accountability and transparency surrounding the Secret Service’s failures, asserting that Director Cheatle’s appearance is imperative at the forthcoming session.
House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green extended invitations to Mayorkas, Wray, and Cheatle to address the committee on July 23. Green, a Tennessee Republican, emphasized the crucial need for collaboration to diagnose the root cause of the security breach and to devise preventive measures for the future. Additionally, both the House and Senate are slated to receive briefings on the assassination attempt from Justice Department, Secret Service, and FBI officials. The Senate is also actively engaged in investigating the incident.
President Biden recently announced his directive for an independent review of the event’s security protocols to pinpoint where the system faltered. Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general has commenced an investigation into the planning of the rally to evaluate the missteps that occurred.
