Congressional task force tours site of assassination attempt on Trump in US state of Pennsylvania

By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, US (AA) - Members of a US Congressional task force visited the site of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on Monday to investigate the circumstances around the security failures at his political rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The bipartisan committee, made up of six Democrats and seven Republicans, comes at a crucial political juncture as the Nov. 5 presidential election between Republican candidate Trump and Democratic candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris nears.

Both parties want to show the public that they are committed to thoroughly investigating the events that led to the attempted assassination on July 13.

"Getting to the truth is a slow process," said task force Chairman Mike Kelly, whose district includes Butler.

House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced the establishment of the task force earlier this month to "help make certain such failures never happen again," but a group of Trump allies on Capitol Hill have lambasted federal officials for the lapse in security at the rally and are calling for quick and strong accountability.

Lawmakers toured the rally site where the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was able to climb onto the rooftop at a nearby building and open fire at the crowd, striking Trump and killing a member of the audience.

The visit comes in the wake of at least five Secret Service members being placed on administrative leave, according to media outlets, but Kelly said it was "too early” to determine whether there was criminal negligence from those involved in the failures that day.

"Let’s make sure that we’re sure when we say something, because this has lasting effects on people," Kelly said, criticizing other lawmakers who have been quick to call for severe actions against federal law enforcement officials.

The task force is currently working to determine who was ultimately responsible for the failed decisions and protocols on the day of the shooting as well as how Trump's security staff played a role in those decisions.

"The campaign had a lot to do (with planning)," said Rep. Lou Correa.

The bipartisan committee's goal is to make sure the investigation is conducted thoroughly from top to bottom, with the task force expected to issue a final report in mid-December and security recommendations.

"You don’t have to be a Democrat or a Republican to say there’s no room for political violence," said ranking member Rep. Jason Crow, adding that the group was focused on a "full, thorough investigation."