On Thursday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said that Americans will be “shocked” and “appalled” when Congress releases an interim report detailing the security failures that led to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a July rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
In an interview with Fox News, Blumenthal stated, “I think the American people are going to be shocked, astonished, and appalled by what we will report to them about the failures by the Secret Service in this assassination attempt on the former president. But they should also be appalled by the Department of Homeland Security’s failure to be more forthcoming, candid, and transparent in providing information.”
Blumenthal did not provide specifics on what lawmakers had learned during a closed-door meeting with acting US Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, who briefed senators on the ongoing investigation into the failed attempt on Trump’s life.
Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) noted that the interim report would be released soon but emphasized that more information is needed to complete the investigation. “It’ll only be an interim report because there’s a lot more information that we need to find,” Peters said, adding that additional details will be gathered to ensure a full understanding of the events and what measures need to be taken to prevent future incidents.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) underscored that the report is being compiled in a bipartisan manner. He praised Rowe’s commitment to providing more information, stating, “We’re hoping to get this preliminary report out before this work period. It’s important for people to realize that we are dedicated to producing a bipartisan product.”
The Secret Service has faced intense scrutiny for the security breaches and communication failures that allowed the attempted assassination of Trump on July 13 during his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
