House Republicans have raised concerns about potential "negative revelations" in a forthcoming DHS Inspector General report on the Secret Service's handling of the January 6 Capitol riot and the recent assassination attempt on former President Trump.
The U.S. Secret Service is facing intense scrutiny after a group of House Republicans accused the agency of a "potential pattern of negligence" in the aftermath of the attempted assassination of former President Trump. Led by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), lawmakers sent a letter to acting USSS Director Ronald Rowe expressing alarm over a recent report suggesting the agency could be facing negative revelations in a forthcoming Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General report about the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Secret Service Under Fire for Alleged "Pattern of Negligence" Amid Trump Assassination Attempt
The letter cited concerns over the assassination attempt on Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, where a 20-year-old gunman killed one rally attendee and critically injured two others. Trump himself was shot in the ear and rushed offstage by security agents.
Lawmakers questioned how an assassin could gain access to and fire shots at Trump from an unsecure building with a direct line of sight to the rally stage. They also raised concerns that the Secret Service had reportedly identified the building as a potential vulnerability but failed to include it within the security perimeter or otherwise ensure the security of the roof.
Secret Service Under Fire for Alleged "Pattern of Negligence" Amid Trump Assassination Attempt
The letter then pivoted to a Politico report, which indicated that the Secret Service is in possession of a draft report by the DHS OIG focused on the agency's preparation for and response to events on January 6, 2021. The report reportedly highlights "a series of embarrassing security lapses" by the Secret Service.
Congress and the American people, the lawmakers wrote, deserve to understand whether the security lapses at the July 13 rally are part of a larger pattern of negligence on the part of the Secret Service.
Secret Service Under Fire for Alleged "Pattern of Negligence" Amid Trump Assassination Attempt
The letter requests a summary of the DHS watchdog report's findings and recommendations for the Secret Service, as well as information on how those steps were carried out ahead of the Trump rally shooting. The Secret Service has been under intense scrutiny since the shooting, which led to the resignation of former Director Kimberly Cheatle last week after a heated House Oversight Committee hearing.
On Tuesday, Rowe testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Judiciary committees, where he admitted that the rally shooting was a "failure" of the agency. The Secret Service has not yet responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
The ongoing investigations into the Trump assassination attempt and the Secret Service's handling of the January 6 Capitol riot are expected to shed light on potential security vulnerabilities and whether the agency has engaged in a pattern of negligence that has compromised the protection of high-profile figures.
