What Happened During Second Congressional Hearing on Assassination?

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are attempting to discover why security for former President Donald Trump failed on Saturday, July 13, 2024. After the first day of grilling, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned, something that she declared for nine days that she would not do. At last, she understood the situation clearly when both Democrats and Republicans were calling for her resignation.

Today was the second day of inquiry, but Cheatle resigned earlier in the day, and other top Biden administration officials did not show up. However, Col. Christopher L. Paris, commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, did show up, and he provided answers to most of the questions from the committee. Patrick Yoes, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, also provided answers to the committee. Fred Lucas at the Daily Signal had the following takeaways from the second congressional hearing. 

1. Dismissing ‘Sloped Roof’ Excuse

Paris, head of the Pennsylvania State Police, dismissed the notion that the rooftop used by 20-year-old shooter … had a dangerous slope and was too unsafe for Secret Service agents to secure….

2. Plea to ‘Reconsider’ Bill Denying Protection to Trump

Green asked the committee’s ranking member, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., to withdraw his bill pulling Secret Service protection from Trump should the former president be sentenced to prison….

But later in the hearing, Thompson defended his legislation, saying that “the bill doesn’t mention former President Trump.”

In April, after Trump had been indicted in four separate criminal cases but before he was convicted of 34 felonies in the “hush money” trial in New York, Thompson introduced a bill that he called the Denying Infinite Security and Government Resources Allocated toward Convicted and Extremely Dishonorable Former Protectees Act, which the Mississippi Democrat also dubbed the DISGRACED Former Protectees Act.

If passed and [signed] into law by President Joe Biden, the legislation would terminate Secret Service protection for someone who has been sentenced to prison following conviction for a federal or state felony….

3. ‘Met or Exceeded All of Our Expectations’

Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., asked Paris to assess local law enforcement at the Trump rally July 13, as opposed to the Secret Service.

“What do you say to those that are saying local law enforcement failed to provide adequate security at this rally?” D’Esposito asked.

“It’s my belief as I sit here, based on all the information that I have, that we met or exceeded all of our expectations for that event,” Paris replied. “Am I saying the event was a success? Obviously, it was not. Our hearts go out to those affected.”

Yoes, national head of the Fraternal Order of Police, stressed the importance of local law enforcement to back federal law enforcement.

“I would echo the fact that local law enforcement plays a huge role and must,” Yoes said. “I don’t think the federal agencies have the ability to have this event without a coordinated effort with local law enforcement.”

Earlier in the hearing, Paris explained the role of the Pennsylvania State Police the day of the assassination attempt was to “supply the Secret Service with personnel and assets that they requested.”

This involved 32 state police officers with two main responsibilities, a motorcade operation for the Secret Service’s transportation of Trump and manning and staffing security posts inside the perimeter….

He said Pennsylvania State Police are “currently conducting a criminal investigation parallel to and in concert with the FBI to identify any and all parties criminally culpable under Pennsylvania state law for the homicide and for the attempted homicides.”

4. Nagging Questions on Timeline

Later in the hearing, Gimenez asked about the timeline after law enforcement had flagged the shooter as a suspicious person on the grounds of the rally.

“From my understanding of the timeline, it’s about 20 minutes before the president came out; was that information relayed to the Secret Service?” the Florida Republican asked.

“I believe that it was,” Paris said.

“Was that relayed to the Secret Service, the team that surrounds the president himself?” Gimenez specified.

“I can’t answer that,” Paris said.

“If it wasn’t, that’s another big mess-up,” the congressman said.

Gimenez followed up by asking and answering a rhetorical question: “Who developed a plan to protect the outside of the perimeter? There’s only one agency, that’s the United States Secret Service.”