Federal law enforcement faces scrutiny over security failures in Trump assassination attempts

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Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) has expressed concern that federal law enforcement agencies may need to be subpoenaed by Congress to investigate security failures related to two assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump. Johnson's remarks followed the release of a Senate report detailing significant lapses by the Secret Service during the first attempt, which occurred in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Johnson noted that the Senate has not yet received critical information from the Secret Service or the FBI, including an autopsy report on the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, or any relevant interview transcripts. He criticized the perceived lack of transparency from federal agencies, stating, “This continues to be a slow-walking of information to us.”

The preliminary 94-page Senate report highlighted that despite warnings from the Butler County Emergency Services Unit about inadequate manpower for the rally's security, the Secret Service did not acknowledge these concerns. Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Gary Peters (D-MI) emphasized that these failures were preventable and had serious consequences.

A bipartisan House task force convened recently to address these issues, reaffirming the Secret Service's responsibility for the security lapses. Meanwhile, former first lady Melania Trump attributed the assassination attempts to what she described as a “toxic atmosphere” fueled by Democrats and the media.