Secret Service tells House task force that Trump already has presidential-level protection
The Secret Service told House members on Wednesday that the former president Donald Trump had already established the same level as a current president in terms of protection when a second attempt at assassination was foiled in Florida.
This was one of the main takeaways that lawmakers on a bipartisan House Task Force investigating assassination efforts had after receiving a briefing from Secret Service officials on Sunday’s incident. Agents stopped a man who was perched in bushes around Mr. Trump’s Golf Club with a rifle, before he fired any shots.
Following two assassinations of Mr. Trump in just two months, legislators demanded that he receive the same level of protection as an incumbent president. Secret Service officials said that security had been increased after the attack on July 13, Pennsylvania.
The Washington Times reported that Colorado Rep. Jason Crow was the top Democrat of the task force.
|
Mr. Crow claimed that they were informed by President Biden, after the July 13, assassination attempted, to increase the security detail for Mr. Trump (the Republican presidential nominee) and Vice President Kamala Harris (the Democratic presidential nominee), to the same levels as a president.
He said, “It is our understanding that this has occurred and that it was in place on Sunday when the incident took place.”
Rep. Mike Kelly (Republican from Pennsylvania) who chairs the Task Force said he also understood this information.
Secret Service officials’ briefing contradicts Palm Beach County sheriff Ric Bradshaw who said, following Sunday’s incident that the entire area around the golf course surrounding Mr. Trump would have been secure if he were the sitting president. According to the FBI, the would be assassin waited in the bush for Mr. Trump for 12 hours.
Sheriff Bradshaw stated that “if he [the president] was still in office, we would have surrounded the entire course.” Because he is not a president, security is only available in the areas the Secret Service considers safe.
This week, the House will vote on a measure that would ensure presidential and vice-presidential nominees get the same protection as an incumbent president.
Kelly said that the vote was still worthwhile, even though Trump had been granted the additional protection. He acknowledged that this may not satisfy the critics.
He said, “If you listen to Secret Service talk… they are pretty short of people.” “I don’t think we will ever be able to meet all expectations.” “I think we are doing the best we can, but there are limits to what we can do.”
The Task Force members’ main takeaway was that the security posture at the Butler rally where the first attempted occurred was very different from Sunday’s incident on Mr. Trump’s Golf Club.
Kelly added that the Secret Service has already gone through the process and was heavily criticized for the things they did not do.
He also noted that the two attempts at assassination occurred in very different locations. The Butler incident occurred at a large campaign rally, with thousands of people present. In contrast, the Florida incident took place on a golf course.
“In Butler, Pennsylvania you had a cascading failure of security and things that should have happened but didn’t,” Mr. Crow stated. In this case, it seems that things went according to plan, that procedures were followed, and that the security bubble that surrounded the former president was actually following him.
The task force plans to expand its scope to include the Florida attempted assassination, but this will require that the House update the resolution that created the panel.
The schedule is still in flux, but Mr. Kelly said he and Mr. Crow are hoping to hold a public hearing on the Butler security failures next week with local law enforcement witnesses.
Crow stated that the initial phases of his investigation focused on local law enforcement. The transcribed interview transcripts we have conducted over the past two weeks, and our document requests and productions are centered around these interviews.
Mr. Kelly stated that the goal was to also release an interim report, next week, providing updates on task force investigation. Mr. Crow did not know that House Speaker Mike Johnson announced plans for a new report in an interview with Fox News on Monday.
Next week, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will also release a report on its investigation of the Butler assassination.
No Comments