Secret Service Identified Gunman as Suspicious 1 Hour Before Shooting, Senator Says After Briefing

Law enforcement agents stand near the stage of a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pa., on July 13, 2024. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

WASHINGTON—The Secret Service told lawmakers on July 17 that the gunman was identified as being suspicious one hour before he opened fire on former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, according to Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) who was at the briefing.

“He had a range finder and a backpack. The Secret Service lost sight of him,” the senator said in a statement posted on X.

“Someone has died. The President was almost killed,” he added, before calling for the head of the Secret Service to resign.

His remarks came after members of Congress received a private unclassified briefing from the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice regarding the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Trump and the resulting investigation.

The briefing was provided to senators and the House of Representatives amid congressional demands to be informed about the state of investigations into the incident. A briefing had been scheduled to occur on July 16 for members of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee but was canceled due to alleged disagreements regarding its time. The July 17 briefing appears to have been held for all members of Congress in both chambers and was criticized by Republican lawmakers after it concluded.

“The USSS [U.S. Secret Service] Senate briefing was unbelievably uninformative. Only four questions were allowed,” wrote Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) on X. “The rest of us are supposed to submit questions. I already have. Awaiting a response. Not holding my breath,” he added.

“[J]ust like that, Secret Service wrapped up the briefing after taking only a few questions. So much smoke and mirrors. So little accountability,” wrote Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) on X. “So far, they’re flooding us with details that aren’t all that helpful. I have yet to hear them substantively address the failures that led to this tragedy,” he noted.

“The nation deserves answers and accountability,” wrote Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on X after the briefing. He added that “[n]ew leadership at the Secret Service would be an important step in that direction,” echoing Mr. Johnson and other Republican leaders who have called for Ms. Cheatle to resign.

Other lawmakers posted reactions to learning during the briefing that the Secret Service was aware of a threat to former President Trump before he took the stage.

“I am appalled to learn that the Secret Service knew about a threat prior to President Trump walking on stage,” wrote Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) on X. It is unclear whether the “threat” described was from the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, or related to the intelligence warnings of credible assassination threats by Tehran-linked actors.

“[T]he Biden administration must also share this information with the public,” wrote Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) on X. “There is a lot of information out there, some real and some not,” he added, expressing concerns about misinformation regarding the shooting that have circulated in the public discourse.

It is unclear how many members attended the briefings, which were provided to the Senate and House separately. Several members’ offices told The Epoch Times that they did not attend the briefing.

The Secret Service, which is responsible for former President Trump’s security, is facing significant scrutiny from Congress regarding the shooting. On July 17, Mr. Johnson announced that a “special task force” with subpoena power would be created on July 22 to investigate the incident. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has launched its own investigation.

Ms. Cheatle has said that she will not resign, although she took responsibility for security at the rally in an interview with CNN on July 16.

“The Secret Service is totally responsible for the design and implementation and the execution of the site,” she said.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters at a White House news briefing on July 16 that he has “100 percent confidence in the director of the United States Secret Service.”

Several House committees had announced hearings with Ms. Cheatle beginning on July 22, and the House Oversight and Accountability Committee said it has now issued a subpoena, meaning that the Secret Service director is compelled to appear on the day or be held in contempt of Congress.

The Secret Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.