A leading Senate Democrat criticized the Biden-Harris administration on Monday for “stonewalling” over requests for crucial information related to assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump and concerns about the U.S. Secret Service’s capabilities. Amid an impending federal shutdown with Congress scrambling to prevent a funding crisis, another pressing challenge emerged: the second assassination attempt on Trump. The ensuing probe has brought to light the potential shortcomings of the Secret Service, already reported to be struggling with underfunding and insufficient staffing.
The incident occurred on Sunday while Trump was golfing in Florida. A Secret Service agent noticed an individual armed with a rifle near the perimeter of the golf course. The agents reacted promptly, firing shots at the suspect who then escaped in a black Nissan, only to be apprehended later, according to officials.
Though Trump was unharmed, the incident is being probed by the FBI as a potential assassination attempt, marking the second such attempt on his life in a short span—the first being during a rally in Butler, PA, where he was injured. The episode has underscored previous warnings that the Secret Service might require additional support, a point made evident before this latest attack on Trump.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, (D-CT), who leads the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations under the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, voiced severe criticism towards the Department of Homeland Security. He accused them of being “almost derelict in its duty by resisting our requests for documents, evidence and information that are necessary to investigate.”
Expressing his growing frustration, Blumenthal stated, according to Fox News, that he was “angry” at the lack of cooperation from DHS, emphasizing the need for them to be more “forthcoming” in handling such critical matters. “We may need to require more cooperation from them. And we have the power to do so through the compulsory process. In other words, the subpoena power,” Blumenthal told reporters on Monday.
A Secret Service agent, positioned a couple of holes away from Trump, noticed the armed man concealed in the bushes near a fence that bordered the golf course. The distance between Trump and the gunman was about 400 yards. Law enforcement found a semiautomatic rifle equipped with a scope near the property boundary, along with two backpacks that had been hung on the fence.
Leave a Reply