Senior officials from the Secret Service and FBI are set to testify before Congress on Tuesday in a rare joint hearing to examine the security lapses that led to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. The hearing will be conducted by the Judiciary and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees, starting at 10 a.m.
Ronald Rowe Jr., acting director of the Secret Service, and Paul Abbate, deputy director of the FBI, will face questions from up to 32 senators across the two panels. Notably, Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) are members of both committees.
Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), chair of the Judiciary Committee, emphasized the critical question: “The basic question is, how did he get the gun on the premises?” Durbin also expressed interest in understanding the security changes planned ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago this August.
Durbin remarked, “There are half a dozen kids like [the shooter] in every high school in America. This kid didn’t appear — the 20-year-old — did not appear to have a specific political agenda. He had a gun. He used it. Sadly, a person died.”
The Homeland Security panel leaders have requested comprehensive records related to the attempted assassination as part of the committee’s bipartisan investigation initiated last week.
Expectations for the hearing include detailed inquiries about FBI Director Christopher Wray’s recent statement that there was “some question” as to whether a bullet or shrapnel caused the injury to Trump’s ear during the attack. The FBI later confirmed that a bullet was responsible for the injury.
An FBI official announced Monday that Trump has agreed to an interview about the incident, providing further insight into the investigation.
Rowe and Abbate aim to provide clearer answers than their predecessor, former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who faced bipartisan frustration for her vague responses during a previous House testimony on the assassination attempt. Cheatle later resigned following her contentious appearance on Capitol Hill.
