BUTLER, Pa. (KDKA) — Members of Congress on Monday flocked to the Butler County farm fair grounds to the spot where 20-year-old Thomas Crooks tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump.
This comes in anticipation of some other consultation from Secret Service Director Kimberley Cheatle on Tuesday in Washington, D. C.
Members of the House Homeland Security Committee said they came here in search of answers, but said this could have raised even more questions about the incident.
A caravan of committee members made their way to the stage and headed to the places in question. Some even climbed onto the roof of the building where Crooks shot and wounded the former president.
“We have a lot of questions,” said Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas).
The committee needs to know why the perimeter of the land has not been secured. Why weren’t warnings about a suspicious sighting of Crooks heeded, and how Crooks were able to easily access the roof?
While it raised more questions than answers, committee members said some things had been clarified.
“It’s too close. To be on the roof and take a look at where the president is is so close for a sniper,” Rep. McCaul added.
They also specifically discussed the building’s water tower, which they said allowed a government sniper to get a panoramic view of the site. Others blamed the security failure on the secret service, which they said deserved to have mobilized local law enforcement to protect him. this and other vulnerabilities.
“There are things here that are evident. The apparent failure of the Secret Service, and I chose the Secret Service because they are guilty of advising, informing, and directing all other agencies on what deserves to be done to protect the site,” the representative said. said Carlos Giménez (R-Fla. ).
Democratic members of the committee singled out Cheatle as the center of the investigation and wanted to question him. They said she would be held responsible at the end of the investigation.