‘Security Lapses’: Comer Hits Secret Service Director With Subpoena Following Trump Assassination Attempt

Chairman James Comer of the House Oversight Committee issued U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle a subpoena on Wednesday after a failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

Comer subpoenaed Cheatle to appear in a House Oversight Committee hearing on July 22 to answer questions regarding the attempted assassination on Trump on July 13 during a Pennsylvania rally. The attempted assassination has since raised many questions about the competence of the U.S. Secret Service and the failures that took place that allowed 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks to take aim at a former president from a rooftop positioned just 130 yards away.

“The lack of transparency and failure to cooperate with the Committee on this pressing matter by both DHS and the Secret Service further calls into question your ability to lead the Secret Service and necessitates the attached subpoena compelling your appearance before the Oversight Committee,” the subpoena reads.

The former president was wounded in the ear during his rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania. One attendee at the rally was killed and two others were injured.

“The United States Secret Service has a no-fail mission, yet it failed on Saturday when a madman attempted to assassinate President Trump, killed an innocent victim, and harmed others,” Chairman Comer said in a press release announcing the subpoena. “We are grateful to the brave Secret Service agents who acted quickly to protect President Trump after shots were fired and the American patriots who sought to help victims, but questions remain about how a rooftop within proximity to President Trump was left unsecured.”

“Americans demand answers from Director Kimberly Cheatle about these security lapses and how we can prevent this from happening again,” Comer said in the press release. “We look forward to Director Cheatle’s testimony this upcoming Monday, July 22.”

Since the assassination attempt, several prominent lawmakers have called for investigations and hearings into the incident. On Sunday, Speaker Mike Johnson announced that he will launch a “full investigation” into the attempted assassination.

“Our prayers are with him, all the rally attendees, those who were injured, and the family of the individual who lost their life,” Johnson said in a post on X. “Congress will conduct a full investigation of the tragedy to determine where there were lapses in security.”

The Secret Service didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Republished with permission from The Daily Caller News Foundation.