- The Washington Times - Tuesday, July 16, 2024

The House Homeland Security Committee is planning to hold a hearing on July 23 to examine the circumstances that led to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

The committee has invited Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to appear.

“It is imperative that we partner to understand what went wrong, and how Congress can work with the departments and agencies to ensure this never happens again,” Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, Tennessee Republican, said in a statement. “Successful oversight requires Congress to work together with these officials as they testify publicly before the House Committee on Homeland Security. The American people, and the individuals and families who receive protective services, deserve nothing less.”

A gunman fired at Mr. Trump during his Saturday campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, with the shots coming from a nearby building outside the event’s official security perimeter. A bullet hit the former president’s right ear before Secret Service agents rushed him off stage and out of the vicinity.

The gunman, whom law enforcement officials have identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, killed one rallygoer and critically injured two others.

Mr. Green sent a letter to Mr. Mayorkas on Sunday asking for communications and documents related to the security planning for the rally. The congressman’s requests focus in part on whether there was a plan for securing the perimeter building where Cooks fired at Mr. Trump and whether there had been any communications to increase protection for the former president ahead of the rally.

Mr. Green also held a call with Ms. Cheatle on Sunday, probing her with similar questions about what led to Saturday’s historic failures, according to a committee spokesperson. She is expected to brief the panel soon ahead of the public hearing. She was expected to brief the panel ahead of the public hearing but had yet to confirm a date.

Ms. Cheatle was also scheduled to brief the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday and to testify publicly before that panel on July 22. But the Department of Homeland Security took over communications for the Secret Service and refused to confirm a time for the briefing, so it did not happen on Tuesday, multiple committee members said in posts on X.

“No matter if it’s the Biden Crime Family’s shady business dealings or the Trump assassination attempt, this regime continues to stonewall us! Subpoenas incoming,” said Rep. Eric Burlison, Missouri Republican. 

Mr. Green and the Homeland Security Committee’s ranking Democrat, Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, held a call Monday with the FBI’s assistant director, Robert R. Wells, who heads the bureau’s counterterrorism division.

Mr. Wells told the committee leaders that the FBI has conducted nearly 100 interviews as it builds a timeline of events surrounding the assassination attempt and promised to be transparent with Congress as the agency continues to investigate Crooks’ motive and potential associations.

Mr. Green intends to schedule a visit to the rally site, if possible, once the scene has been processed, the committee spokesperson said.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is also investigating the alleged security failures that led to the attempted assassination of Mr. Trump.

All senators have been invited to participate in an unclassified phone briefing Wednesday afternoon with officials from the Secret Service, Justice Department and the FBI

• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.

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