Rep. Jason Crow, the top Democrat on the House task force investigating the attempted assassination of former President Trump, insists the probe will be free of political interference.
The top Democrat on the House task force commissioned to investigate the attempted assassination of former President Trump has vowed that the inquiry will be free from partisan bias. Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., was appointed ranking member of the panel by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
Crow, a first-term lawmaker who previously served as one of seven House Democrats prosecuting Trump's first impeachment trial before the Senate, dismissed concerns that his past involvement could lead to criticism of his handling of the current task force.
House Task Force to Investigate Trump Assassination Attempt: Democrat Ranking Member Vows Bipartisanship
"I’m not concerned about that," Crow told Fox News Digital in an interview. "You know, I have a great reputation for being one of the most bipartisan members of Congress because, listen, that's what America does."
Crow, a retired Army Ranger, emphasized his training in serving without bias during his military service. "I served overseas in combat with Americans from all different backgrounds – Republicans, Democrats, independents, people from the East Coast, people from the West Coast, of every different stripe and background – and we got the job done," he said.
House Task Force to Investigate Trump Assassination Attempt: Democrat Ranking Member Vows Bipartisanship
The task force, comprising six Democrats and seven Republicans, is charged with investigating the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Would-be assassin Thomas Crooks, 20, opened fire from a nearby rooftop, grazing Trump's right ear, killing a former firefighter, and seriously wounding two other spectators before being shot dead by a Secret Service counter-sniper.
Crow and task force Chair Mike Kelly, R-Pa., are considering a visit to the rally site as part of their investigation. Crow acknowledged that there were "a lot of things appear to have gone wrong" during the incident and pledged a "fast investigation," with a report due in December.
House Task Force to Investigate Trump Assassination Attempt: Democrat Ranking Member Vows Bipartisanship
The Democrat ranking member outlined several key questions the task force will explore: "Are we actually looking at that intelligence properly? Is it being disseminated to the proper law enforcement officials? Why wasn't there a secure perimeter? Why was that rooftop unsecure?"
Crow highlighted the importance of interoperability in communications among different law enforcement agencies, which he believes may have been a factor in the shooting. "I learned in my time overseas in combat that one of the hardest things to do is actually achieve interoperability of our communications between … different units in different locations," he said.
House Task Force to Investigate Trump Assassination Attempt: Democrat Ranking Member Vows Bipartisanship
Crow's appointment to the task force received bipartisan support. In a joint statement, Johnson and Jeffries expressed "utmost confidence" in Crow and the group of "steady, qualified and capable Members of Congress to move quickly to find the facts, ensure accountability and help make certain such failures never happen again."
The task force's findings and recommendations are expected to be made public in December.
