Bipartisan House Task Force Investigates Trump Assassination Attempts

Chairman Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., leads the first public hearing of a bipartisan congressional task force investigating the assassination attempts against Republican presidential nominee former Preside

A bipartisan House task force held its first hearing to investigate the failures that led to a gunman opening fire on former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. The Secret Service, not local authorities, was identified as responsible for the planning and communication breakdowns that allowed the attack to occur.

Lawmakers highlighted the lack of coordination between the Secret Service and local authorities during the July 13 rally, where the gunman was able to climb a building and shoot at Trump. The committee emphasized that there were multiple security failures that contributed to the incident.

The panel, consisting of both Republicans and Democrats, has been analyzing the security lapses at the rally for the past two months. They have conducted interviews with law enforcement officials and reviewed thousands of pages of documents from the Secret Service.

Lack of coordination between Secret Service and local authorities highlighted.

Secret Service blamed for planning and communication breakdowns.

Security failures at July 13 rally allowed gunman to attack Trump.

Panel analyzing security lapses for two months, conducting interviews and document reviews.

Questions raised on lack of law enforcement personnel on building where gunman positioned.

Testimonies reveal lack of clear communication and coordination between agencies.

During the hearing, questions were raised about why law enforcement personnel were not stationed on top of the building where the gunman positioned himself, despite it being a clear security threat. Testimonies revealed that there were discussions about using barriers to block the line of sight to the stage, but it remains unclear why those measures were not implemented.

Witnesses testified that there was a lack of clear communication and coordination between the Secret Service and local tactical units. They pointed out that the Secret Service did not provide specific instructions or feedback on security measures, leading to gaps in the protection of the former president.

The House panel is expected to propose legislative reforms and issue a final report by December 13. While there is bipartisan agreement on the need for oversight and accountability, there are differing opinions on whether to allocate more funding to the Secret Service in light of the security failures.

An interim report from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee also criticized the Secret Service for its lack of clear instructions and real-time information sharing with local partners. The agency has acknowledged its responsibility for the incident and emphasized the need for improved communication with state and local officials.

The ongoing investigations aim to address the systemic issues that led to the assassination attempts on Trump and to prevent similar security breaches in the future.