House lawmakers demand Secret Service briefing on 2nd Trump assassination attempt
A bipartisan House task force was already investigating the July assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. Sunday’s attack may have lawmakers expanding their probe.
Reps. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Jason Crow (D-Colo.), the chair and top Democrat on the House task force, have requested a briefing for the panel with the Secret Service this week over what authorities have deemed another “attempted assassination” that occurred at Trump’s golf club in Florida. Shots were fired near Trump, who was unharmed, and a suspect is in custody.
"The Task Force is monitoring this attempted assassination of former President Trump in West Palm Beach this afternoon. We have requested a briefing with the U.S. Secret Service about what happened and how security responded,” Kelly and Crow said in a joint statement, vowing to “share updates as we learn more.”
The House task force was created earlier this year to investigate the assassination attempt against Trump at his July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Part of the group’s goal is to identify failures leading up to that incident and prevent similar attacks in the future. Members met just days ago with acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. as part of that investigation.
Additionally, there are discussions underway about a full House GOP briefing via conference call on Monday to discuss the latest assassination attempt, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, who was granted anonymity to discuss internal planning.
The joint statement from the task force is an early sign that the House panel could be expanding its scope to also probe the Sunday incident. The group is already under a tight timeframe; under a resolution that passed the House unanimously earlier this year, they have until mid-December to issue its findings and legislative recommendations.
Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), a member of the task force, wrote on X that he expects the “Secret Service to brief us this week,” adding that the July 13 shooting “was not an isolated incident that we can take our time investigating as domestic and foreign threats are ongoing.” A task force spokesperson confirmed that committee leaders were also requesting that the briefing occur this week.
Some congressional leaders disclosed Sunday that they had already been briefed after the apparent assassination attempt. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was briefed by Rowe, the Democratic leader said in a statement.
“I applaud the Secret Service for their quick response to ensure former President Trump’s safety,” Schumer said. “There is no place in this country for political violence of any kind. The perpetrator must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the No. 2 Democrat in the chamber, added that his staff had also been briefed by Secret Service. And Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that he was "very grateful President Trump is safe. ... I hope and expect USSS and the FBI will conduct a thorough, swift, and transparent investigation."
Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson said that he and his wife, Kelly, had been in Florida, where they had "just spent a few hours with President Trump and are thanking God for protecting him today — once again."
Other lawmakers revived demands for increased security for Trump — echoing calls that they made in the wake of the July 13 shooting. Congressional investigators have raised questions about Trump’s security detail as part of their ongoing inquiries.
"Given the escalating threats, I'm calling on President Biden to issue President Trump the same security levels afforded to a sitting president to ensure his safety,” Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.) wrote on X.
Democrats didn’t make the same demands, but expressed concern for the former president Sunday. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries posted on X: “Political violence has no place in a democratic society.”
Olivia Beavers, Ursula Perano and Nicholas Wu contributed to this report.
