The House Oversight Committee is summoning the director of the U.S. Secret Service to testify about the shooting at former President Trump’s rally on Saturday night.
“President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt today when a gunman opened fire on him at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania,” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said in a letter to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. “At least one bystander was killed.”
Comer later praised the agents who rushed to confront Trump seconds after a bullet grazed his ear while he was speaking to supporters in Butler.
Biden meets with Trump after Pennsylvania rally shooting
House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) has subpoenaed the director of the Secret Service. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“It cannot be emphasized enough the extraordinary bravery of the individual United States Secret Service agents who protected President Trump, removed the shooter, and likely prevented further casualties,” Comer said.
“The Committee on Oversight and Accountability has opened an investigation into today’s assassination attempt on President Trump and invites you to voluntarily appear at a Committee hearing on July 22, 2024.”
The hearing is scheduled to take place one week after the Republican National Convention (RNC), where Trump is expected to be formally announced as the Republican presidential nominee.
In addition to Comer’s committee, the House Homeland Security Committee has previously said it is seeking more information about Saturday’s events.
Witness accounts after Pennsylvania assassination attempt on Trump: ‘There was blood everywhere’
Republican candidate Donald Trump was seen being escorted off stage surrounded by Secret Service agents with blood running down his face during a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)
“The Committee has contacted the U.S. Secret Service and has requested a formal briefing for Committee members regarding the attempted assassination of President Trump that occurred tonight in Pennsylvania,” the Homeland Security Committee said in a statement.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, vowed to summon Cheatle and “appropriate officials from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI” to the House of Representatives to explain themselves.
Meanwhile, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is pressuring Cheatle to assure the public that the upcoming Republican and Democratic conventions will be held safely.
“The Director of the Secret Service needs to come out ASAP and let us know why this happened and whether all attendees at the Republican and Democratic National Conventions are safe,” Scott wrote to X.
Pennsylvania Trump rally shooting suspect photographed after assassination attempt
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump was walked off stage. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Earlier, as former President Trump was about to speak, a gunman opened fire from a nearby roof, striking Trump in the ear and killing one rally attendee, and seriously wounding two more people before being shot dead by police, according to the Secret Service.
Click here to get the FOX News app
Trump was escorted off the stage by a group of Secret Service agents and placed behind the podium where they quickly attacked him, before raising his fist and saying “fight” to his supporters.
Hours later, the Trump campaign indicated that he planned to attend the Republican National Convention.
