Thirteen members of the House bipartisan committee investigating President-elect Trump's assassination attempt huddled around a microphone early Thursday afternoon in the Rayburn House Office Building. The special committee had just concluded a hearing examining what went wrong with the Secret Service and how to fix it.
“We tried to create an atmosphere that this was going to be a serious, bipartisan effort,” said Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), the top Democrat on the task force. “And that's exactly what you see here. And that's exactly how it played out.”
Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pennsylvania), who chaired the effort, said, “We have never identified ourselves as Republicans or Democrats. We have always identified as members of the task force. ” he declared.
The committee built consensus on how the Secret Service failed in its mission when gunman Thomas Crooks nearly killed Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. They were pleased with several Secret Service reforms, including increased use of drones, use of automated robot “dogs” on the grounds of the president-elect's golf club in Florida, and increased communication with local law enforcement. I am doing it.
President Trump is surrounded by members of the US Secret Service at a campaign rally. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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Bipartisan lawmakers also expressed frustration that the impostor's body was never examined. They have not yet determined a motive. It also did not say whether the fraudsters worked alone or if they had help.
Rep. Laurel Lee (R-Florida), a member of the committee, lamented that the Department of Justice has not provided this task force with any information regarding digital devices.
“So is it still a black hole?” I really asked.
“That's right,” Lee replied.
Acting Secretary of the Secret Service Ronald Lowe was the only witness at the hearing.
“There will be responsibility, and responsibility has been incurred,” he declared. However, he did not mention specific examples of discipline.
“It is essential that we recognize the gravity of the failure. Personally, I feel the weight of knowing that I almost lost my guardian,” Lowe said at the hearing. “I have thoroughly reflected on the agency's substandard performance in the lead-up to the Butler rally.”
On Tuesday, July 30, 2024, Acting Director of the U.S. Secret Service Ronald Lowe presents the Senate Joint Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs investigating the security failures that led to the assassination attempt on Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump. and testifying before a joint committee of the Senate Judiciary Hearings. , in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolfe)
That's fine. But no one will remember that. And indeed, no one will remember that this committee represented one of the best examples of significant bipartisanship in Congress in recent years.
It's because of the thermonuclear war that has broken out between Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, and Rep. Rowe.
I've covered Congress for decades. I once saw former Congressman Bob Walker (R-Pennsylvania) slam his gavel in anger, causing his head to snap and spiral down a well in the chamber. In the early morning hours of January 7, 2021, a few hours after the Capitol riot, I witnessed what appeared to be a near-fight between members of Congress. Just last year, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) challenged Teamsters President Sean O'Brien in a public hearing. Never mind that on the same day, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) chased former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) around the venue. Ms Burchett said Mr McCarthy elbowed her in the kidney.
But I have never seen a verbal brawl between a deputy and a witness like the Fallon v. Lowe tilt.
The two men were completely enraged, barking at each other and jabbing their index fingers at each other.
According to various records, the two “sparred.” If this was sparring, Ali vs. Frazier was afternoon tea at Willard.
“You're out of line!” Law thundered. “Congressman, you are out of line!”
“Don't try to bully me!” Fallon fumed. “Don't try to bully me!”
“Don't bring up 9/11 for political purposes!” Rowe yelled. “I was there to pay my respects!”
“Oh, that's a bunch of horse hockey!” Fallon retorted. “You risked President Biden's life! You risked Vice President Harris' life because you ousted those operatives!”
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All substantive details about the Secret Service's improvements and after-action reviews were forgotten. This time it was the main event. And no one will remember anything else.
Here's some context as to why his melee was lit.
From the podium, Fallon held up a photo of President Biden, Vice President Harris, President-elect Trump, and Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio standing at Ground Zero on September 11th of this year. Fallon notes that Rowe is pictured close to the principals. In one photo Fallon displayed, Lowe was circled in red.
Fallon asked Lowe that day whether he was a “special agent in charge” or a “SAC.” That's when things got out of control.
“The fact is, Congressman, what you don't see is the detail of the SAC that is outside the field of view of the photo,” Lowe said.
Then his voice became gravelly with only a seam of disdain.
“This day is a day to remember the more than 3,000 people who died on 9/11,” Lowe said, his voice rising. “I actually responded to Ground Zero. I was walking through the ashes of the World Trade Center. I was at Fresh Kills.”
That's when Fallon mocked Lowe.
“I'm not asking you that! I'm asking you if you were the special agent in charge!” Fallon yelled.
“I was there to show respect!” Rowe countered.
“You weren't!” shot back Fallon.
Congressman Pat Fallon (R-Texas) stands on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, December 6, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
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Fallon claimed that Rowe did not act as a true guardian that day. He suggested that Lowe was basically eliminating other investigators for political purposes and putting the lives of his protectors at risk.
“Do you know why I was there? Because I wanted to stand out. Because I was auditioning for this job I wasn't supposed to get!” Fallon said.
He suggested that Lowe would like to see “acting” removed from his title.
“Did he have a radio? Was he wearing a vest? Was he armed with a weapon? No,” Fallon said.
“Got it, Sensei!” Roe growled.
Before the hearing, I asked Mr. Lowe if he wanted to be permanent Director of the Secret Service. he didn't reply.
Fallon argued that Rowe's position argues that the lives of President Biden and Vice President Harris are in danger. He suggested that lessons were not being learned after the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt.
After the hearing, Fallon claimed that Rowe's placement at the event was a “vanity project.”
I asked Fallon if a verbal challenge would “detract from bipartisan interest.”
“That was not my intention,” Fallon replied.
Fallon placed the blame on Lowe, saying, “He started screaming.”
Mr. Lowe left the Capitol before reporters could ask him his thoughts on the riot.
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I asked Fallon what else we should expect after the crash.
“If you had a bag of heroin in your car or a rope around your neck and you couldn't survive, you'd know why,” Fallon said.
The Trump assassination attempt is already radioactive. And while the committee tried to focus on the failures and what went wrong, all most people remember is one of the most volatile altercations in the history of Congressional hearings. Probably.
