During the House task force's first hearing on the attempted assassinations of former President Donald Trump, a bipartisan split emerged as Democratic lawmakers skipped the final portion of the panel. The hearing featured two Republicans, Reps. Eli Crane and Cory Mills, who have been conducting their own parallel investigation into the shooting.
The Democratic minority expressed frustration over not being informed of the Republicans' testimony until late Wednesday afternoon, with some members only finding out on Thursday morning. Despite this, Task Force Chairman Mike Kelly emphasized the importance of maintaining a bipartisan and consensus-based approach to the investigation.
Rep. Jason Crow, the ranking Democrat on the panel, highlighted the lack of notice given to Democrats regarding the second panel and expressed hope for a return to a bipartisan approach in future proceedings.
The first portion of the hearing included testimony from a former Secret Service agent and local law enforcement officials present at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the shooting occurred. Witnesses and lawmakers pointed to communication failures between the Secret Service and local partners as contributing to the security lapses that allowed the gunman to open fire.
Key questions were raised about the absence of law enforcement personnel on the building where the gunman positioned himself, providing a clear line of sight to Trump. The panel, consisting of seven Republicans and six Democrats, has been analyzing the security failures at the rally over the past two months.
An interim report from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee highlighted the Secret Service's failure to provide clear instructions to state and local officials and the lack of real-time information sharing with local partners. Lawmakers are seeking further testimony from Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe following additional funding allocated to the agency by Congress.
