Peters-led US Senate committee to investigate Trump assassination attempt

Former President Donald Trump addresses supporters in Freeland, Michigan. | Kyle Davidson

An investigation has been announced to look into the security failures that led to Saturday’s attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

Michigan U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Twp.), chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, announced the bipartisan investigation Monday along with the committee’s ranking member, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

“There is no place for political violence in our nation, and Saturday’s shocking attack should never have been allowed to happen,” said Peters. “Our committee is focused on getting all of the facts about the security failures that allowed the attacker to carry out this heinous act of violence that threatened the life of former President Trump, killed at least one person in the crowd, and injured several others.”  

“Violence is never acceptable, not on our streets or in our politics. We thank God that President Trump is alive, we mourn with the Comperatore family, and pray for those who were wounded. This committee has an obligation to unearth the truth about the failures on Saturday and before, no matter how inconvenient to the government. We will leave no stone unturned.” said Paul. 

Trump was injured in the shooting at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania Saturday that killed one attendee, and injured two others. The FBI has identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Penn. Almost immediately after the attempt, questions arose as to how Crooks managed to get into a position overlooking the stage Trump was on. 

“The Secret Service really needs to answer that question, they conduct the initial site survey, they do the initial security assessments and determine where the different security locations should be, and they’re the ones who are in charge of securing the scene,” said Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek of the FBI Pittsburgh field office, which is leading the law enforcement investigation of the incident.

With so many unanswered questions, Peters and Paul say they have requested an “urgent briefing” for committee members by the U.S. Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to be followed by a public hearing. Additional investigative requests for documents and testimony will then follow. 

In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray, Peters and Paul said they were “gravely concerned” by the assassination attempt and were initiating the investigation to determine “how this was able to occur, what security, personnel, or other failures contributed to the attempt, and steps that must be taken to ensure any mistakes are avoided in the future.”

The investigation will also seek information on whether additional security requests were made by former President Trump’s campaign or protective team since Nov. 15, 2022. 

That issue was addressed on Sunday by Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi.

“Theres (sic) an untrue assertion that a member of the former President’s team requested additional security resources & that those were rebuffed. This is absolutely false. In fact, we added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo,” he posted.

The senators requested the briefing to take place no later than July 25, and that Mayorkas and Wray, or their designees, appear before the committee for a public hearing no later than Aug. 1. 

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