The House of Representatives has formally launched its probe into the attempted assassination of former President Trump. A bipartisan task force, led by Reps. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., and Jason Crow, D-Colo., has sent letters to various agencies and departments, requesting information related to the July 13 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The task force, which was formed after a unanimous vote last month, has wide-ranging jurisdiction to investigate the shooting, with the goal of producing a report by the end of the year. The investigation will supersede several other ongoing House probes into the matter, and the task force has requested all information related to the shooting that has been sent to those committees.
The letters, sent to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, acting U.S. Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and FBI Director Christopher Wray, request staff-level briefings from each agency and department by August 16. Lawmakers are seeking all documents and information produced to date related to the attempted assassination, as well as any information currently being processed in response to pending requests.
The task force, comprised of seven House Republicans and six House Democrats, was formed after a unanimous vote last month, demonstrating the bipartisan concern surrounding the shooting. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was inundated with requests from House GOP lawmakers to be on the panel, highlighting the seriousness of the matter.
Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., a former Army Ranger, has emphasized the importance of an apolitical investigation. He and Rep. Kelly are considering a trip to the Pennsylvania rally site where the shooting took place. “Chairman Kelly and I have discussed that, and we do think that would be an important thing to do if we have the support to do it,” Crow told Fox News Digital.
The investigation aims to answer crucial questions surrounding the shooting, including how a 20-year-old gunman was able to position himself on a rooftop just outside Trump’s rally perimeter, open fire, and kill one rally attendee. Trump himself was shot in the ear and rushed offstage by Secret Service agents. The task force is determined to determine what security lapses occurred and how they can be prevented in the future.
