Congressional Investigations Of Assassination Attempt Underway

Three days after Donald Trump’s brush with death at a campaign rally in western Pennsylvania, multiple investigations into the attempted assassination are now underway, including a half dozen investigations in Congress alone.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have many, many questions, most of them, at this point, related to the U.S. Secret Service’s plans for securing the rally, and the obvious failure to do so. The Biden administration has been quick to promise the American public will get answers.

"At President Biden's direction," Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters Monday, "an independent review of the incident will be conducted, one that will examine the Secret Service's and other law enforcement actions before, during and after the shooting."

Cell phone video posted to social media shows rally-goers attempting to alert local police -- who were securing the outer perimeter -- to the presence of the gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, more than two minutes before he opened fire.

In an interview, the Butler County Sheriff said his deputies were not tasked with sweeping the building Crooks used as his perch.

"No, the Sheriff's office was not asked to do that," said Sheriff Michael Slupe, "and I don't know whose responsibility that would've been."

U.S. Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.), in a phone interview Tuesday, said there clearly was some sort of communication breakdown. "Alex, there's no doubt there was a breakdown," said Brecheen.

Congressman Brecheen says this is clearly a situation where immediate congressional oversight is needed.

To date, six congressional committees have taken at least initial steps in gathering information, with some having already scheduled hearings. In the Senate, the Judiciary and Homeland Security committees are getting briefings and planning hearings; in the House, Oversight, Judiciary, Intelligence, and Homeland Security are all getting involved.

Brecheen sits on the House Committee on Homeland Security and, among other things, wants an explanation for why, as it's been reported, three local police snipers were positioned inside the building the gunman climbed up on top of, and what they were doing.

"If you got three in the building," Brecheen questioned, "why [was] somebody not stationed at that high viewpoint, if not protecting that area, at least to elevate to a position where you have the ability to see?"

Brecheen and others on the far right have also begun raising concerns that the increased diversity of the Secret Service under Director Kimberly Cheatle may have put former President Trump at greater risk.

Specifically, Brecheen noted the female agents in Trump's detail Saturday were significantly shorter than their male counterparts and Trump himself.

"[The] height differential made him vulnerable," Brecheen said, "if there was a second shooter from the full frontal shot range."

Brecheen also says it seemed some of the female agents showed "a lack of motor skill" and could be heard saying "What do we do now?" in the hectic moments immediately after the shooting.

"There's some real concerns," he said. "And when you got a Diversity Equity Inclusion-led director...Cheatle's gonna answer some questions." 

Director Cheatle will be able to rebut those concerns in person, as she is scheduled to be on the Hill Monday, testifying before the House Oversight Committee, and then could be right back on Tuesday in front of Brecheen and the House Committee on Homeland Security.