Congressional Republicans are pledging investigations into and at least one hearing about the apparent assassination attempt against former President Trump at a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday, with attention directed mostly at the Secret Service.
“THE HOUSE WILL CONDUCT A FULL INVESTIGATION OF THE TRAGIC EVENTS TODAY,” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) wrote in a post on the social media site X.
“The American people deserve to know the truth. We will have Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and other appropriate officials from DHS and the FBI appear for a hearing before our committees ASAP,” Johnson said.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) swiftly requested that Cheatle testify at a hearing about the shooting on July 22.
“The tremendous bravery of the individual United States Secret Service agents who protected President Trump, eliminated the gunman, and possibly averted more loss of life cannot be overstated,” Comer said in a letter to Cheatle on Saturday night.
Comer had also requested that the committee receive a briefing from the Secret Service about the shooting. The Secret Service agreed to that, a source told The Hill.
“Political violence in all forms is unamerican and unacceptable. There are many questions and Americans demand answers,” Comer said in a statement.
The House Homeland Security Committee also said in a post on X that it had been in contact with the Secret Service and requested an official briefing for its members.
“We are grateful for the bravery and quick response of the Secret Service agents. We will be conducting thorough oversight to ensure the American people receive answers,” the Homeland Security committee said.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is pushing for a hearing on the matter in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
“The Senate Homeland Security Committee must investigate this assassination attempt and attempted mass murder and get to the bottom of how it could have happened,” Hawley posted on X on Sunday.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) also called for a hearing in the Senate — and for it to occur before the August recess.
“It is a miracle that President Trump is alive and well but absolutely inexcusable that the deranged would-be assassin had a direct line of sight to the former president and the leading candidate for President of the United States,” Scott said in a statement. “The U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) has an oversight responsibility and an obligation to the American people to demand answers from DHS and the U.S. Secret Service on how this happened and what steps are being taken to investigate this assassination attempt and make sure it never happens again.”
At least one Democrat is expressing support for a congressional probe.
“I support the need for an investigation,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), who is a member of the Oversight panel, posted on X.
Trump said in a statement that a bullet had “pierced” his right ear. Video of the rally shows Secret Service protection quickly covering the former president and rushing him off stage.
Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the Secret Service, said in a statement Sunday night that the suspected shooter “fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue.”
“US Secret Service personnel quickly responded with protective measures and the former president is safe and being evaluated. One spectator was killed, two spectators were critically injured,” Guglielmi said.
The Secret Service did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment about the hearing invitation and briefing requests.
The FBI said in a statement later on Sunday that it had taken the role of lead law enforcement agency in investigating the incident.