House Republicans demand documents about Trump assassination attempt

The House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Monday sent a letter to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle demanding information about the July 13 shooting. On Saturday, a gunman tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump while he was delivering a speech in Butler, Penn., about 40 miles north of Pittsburgh. Trump survived the attack but suffered a minor injury to his right ear. A Secret Service sniper fatally shot the suspect in the head moments after he began firing on the former president.

What exactly are House Republicans demanding? House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., asked Cheatle to provide the names of all law enforcement personnel present for the rally with roles involving Trump’s protection—including those from local law enforcement agencies. House Republicans also demanded all communications Cheatle issued to Secret Service personnel about the incident. They also demanded all audio and video recordings related to the rally in Secret Service custody. The committee demanded those documents by Thursday, July 18.

By July 29, The committee instructed the Secret Service to provide it with all communications among Secret Service personnel and between Secret Service personnel and individuals from other agencies. It also demanded all recordings from all listening devices, including drones, from the rally in Butler.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., this week invited Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to testify to Congress about the attempt on Trump’s life. Green also invited that FBI Director Christopher Wray and Cheatle to testify at the same hearing. He also demanded information and documents related to the Secret Service’s plan for securing Trump’s rally.

Will the Secret Service cooperate? Cheatle said on Monday that the Secret Service would cooperate with any Congressional oversight requests. She added that the agency would also fully cooperate with an independent review of the incident that President Joe Biden ordered take place.

Dig deeper: Read R. Albert Mohler Jr.’s column in WORLD Opinions about the attempt on Trump’s life.