Senators from both parties expressed frustration Thursday with the security failures that culminated in an assassination attempt against former President Trump.
Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut and Chair of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations said Americans will be “appalled” by the findings of a soon-to-be released report on the security lapses, the New York Post reported.
“I think the American people will be shocked, astonished and appalled by what we will report to them about the failures of the Secret Service in this assassination attempt of a former president,” Blumenthal stated.
🚨WOW🚨
Democrat Senator Blumenthal: “I think the American people are going to be shocked, astonished and appalled by what we will report to them about the failures by the Secret Service in this assassination attempt on the former President.”
They tried to kill Trump. pic.twitter.com/qecA2Q8wX1
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 13, 2024
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee members joined acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe for a private briefing about the shooting in July, according to the New York Post.
“But I think they also ought to be appalled and astonished by the failure of the Department of Homeland Security to be more forthcoming, to be as candid and frank as it should be to them in terms of providing information,” Blumenthal said following the meeting. (RELATED: Police Officer Encountered Shooter Before He Fired At Trump: REPORT)
Republican Senator Ron Johnson also voiced concerns, and wrote in a Twitter post that the bipartisan investigation “will continue to press the Secret Service and FBI for witnesses and documents.”
There are more questions than answers at this point in our bipartisan Senate investigation of July 13th. We will continue to press the Secret Service and FBI for witnesses and documents.
But we remain committed to providing the American people the truth, and will issue a… pic.twitter.com/nJsLXAoSrU
— Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) September 12, 2024
Johnson’s office confirmed to the Daily Caller that the report will be out “within the next couple of weeks.” The Caller also reached out to Blumenthal’s office but has not heard back at the time of publication.
Democrat and Republican senators on the Homeland Security Committee have emphasized that the investigation and ensuing report will be completely bipartisan, the Post reported.
The Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committees held a hearing in July with the FBI and Secret Service to probe the security lapses at the rally in Butler, PA.
Rallygoers alerted local law enforcement after spotting the gunman on a roof near the rally, a pair of law enforcement officials anonymously told The Associated Press. One witness claimed in an interview with the BBC that he saw the shooter and attempted to warn law enforcement. (RELATED: ‘They Blew His Head Off’: Witness Describes Trying To Warn Police Moments Before Trump Assassination Attempt)
“We noticed a guy bear crawling up the roof of the building beside us,” he told the outlet, claiming they tried to notify police.
“They didn’t know what was going on,” he told the BBC. “We’re like, ‘hey, right here on the roof, we can see him from right here! We can see him.”
this BBC interview with a guy outside the security perimeter who claims he saw the shooter before he fired is absolutely wild pic.twitter.com/vJpKZTxSAe
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 13, 2024
The shooting wounded former President Trump, injured two attendees and resulted in the death of Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief.