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While the investigation into the Saturday assassination attempt on Donald Trump continues, numerous congressional and other probes are examining how the U.S. Secret Service allowed a gunman to get close enough to strike the former president and Republican presidential nominee.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark E. Green, R-Tenn., has invited Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and USSS Director Kimberly Cheatle to testify at a hearing on July 23 regarding security at the Pennsylvania campaign rally. During the rally, a shooter killed one attendee, injured two others, and grazed Trump’s ear. Secret Service agents killed the suspected shooter shortly after he opened fire from a nearby rooftop.
“Secretary Mayorkas and Director Cheatle are responsible for the department and agency tasked with securing our homeland and protecting our nation’s chief executives and candidates, while Director Wray leads the agency with the vital role of investigating this attempted assassination. It is crucial that we work together to understand what went wrong and how Congress can collaborate with the departments and agencies to ensure this never happens again,” Green said in a statement.
On Sunday, Green sent Mayorkas a letter requesting the department to provide by Friday the rally’s security plans and any documents and communications regarding potential increases to Trump’s security detail, among other information.
House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., sent Cheatle a letter on Monday requesting information as part of his committee’s investigation into the Secret Service’s handling of the rally.
Committee Republicans requested that the agency provide the following by Thursday:
- A list of law enforcement personnel assigned to protect the former president at the rally.
- All audio and video recordings in USSS possession related to the event.
- Any memorandum or notice issued by the director to agency personnel regarding the assassination attempt.
They also requested that USSS provide additional documents and communications concerning agency protection for Trump at the rally by July 29 and that personnel preserve all information regarding the rally.
Cheatle is scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee on July 22 for a hearing on the assassination attempt.
Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., chairman and ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, announced on Monday that they were launching an investigation into the security failures related to the assassination attempt.
President Joe Biden has also ordered an independent investigation of the assassination attempt.
Cheatle has pledged to cooperate with the independent review as well as any congressional probes.
Mayorkas told CNN on Monday that the assassination attempt against Trump amounted to a “failure” by the USSS.
The House Oversight Committee was already investigating the USSS following an April incident where an agent assigned to protect Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly fought with other agents. Harris was not present at the time.
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