Senate lawmakers are set to question acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe on Tuesday regarding the law enforcement breakdowns prior to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Rowe took over as acting director following the resignation of Kimberly Cheatle after a contentious House hearing. The Senate committees on the Judiciary and Homeland Security will also hear from FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate during the joint hearing.
The FBI recently disclosed new details about the investigation into the shooting, indicating that the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, had researched mass shootings and other concerning topics online. Trump has agreed to be interviewed by the FBI as a crime victim, following reports that he was struck by a bullet or fragment during the incident.
Lawmakers are expected to press Rowe on how Crooks managed to approach Trump closely and fire multiple shots at him. The shooter, armed with an AR-style rifle, fired at Trump from a building rooftop around 135 meters away in Butler, Pennsylvania, resulting in one fatality and two injuries among rally attendees before being neutralized by a Secret Service sniper.
During her previous testimony, Cheatle admitted the Secret Service’s failure in protecting Trump, stating it was a significant operational lapse. She confirmed the agency had been alerted multiple times about suspicious individuals before the shooting and had identified the rooftop as a potential security vulnerability days before the event. Cheatle also apologized to Trump following the assassination attempt.
In a recent interview, Trump commended the Secret Service agents who shielded him during the attack but criticized the lack of communication and security measures. He praised the sniper who swiftly took down Crooks but pointed out the potential for a quicker response to prevent the incident.
The upcoming Senate hearing aims to address the systemic failures in security protocols that led to the near-tragic events and seek accountability within the law enforcement agencies involved.
