WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Lawmakers are seeking answers from the Secret Service about how a gunman was able to shoot at the former president at a Pennsylvania rally Saturday.
The image of former president Donald Trump standing up after being shot in the ear spoke volumes to Texas Congressman Ronny Jackson.
“It was incredible leadership. It was a spirit of a warrior coming out,” Jackson said.
But Alabama Congressman Dale Strong says it also showed failures of the Secret Service to keep Trump safe.
“When a shot is taken, you want to cover that person, so they don’t take another shot. What we saw is the inability to do that,” Strong said.
That will be the subject of hearings on Capitol Hill next week. Republicans are demanding transparency about the Secret Service’s response, and how a gunman was able to open fire at the former president from a nearby rooftop.
“We’re talking a millimeter’s difference between Donald Trump being dead and accepting the Republican nomination on Thursday,” New York Rep. Mike Lawler said.
Questions are only intensifying after reports that the Secret Service increased security for the former president ahead of Saturday’s rally after a threat from Iran. The threat is not believed to be related to Saturday’s assassination attempt, according to U.S. officials.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is expected to testify before the House Oversight Committee Monday.
Lawmakers say they have lots of questions.
“Why didn’t they have somebody on that perch to begin with?” Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) asked.
“Did this young man do this on his own? Was there other people that participated?” Strong asked.
Republicans are also scrutinizing the makeup of the Secret Service, with Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett suggesting the agents there Saturday weren’t up to the task.
“I don’t care if you put a pink unicorn in there, but they’ve got to be able to do the job, and they did not do the job,” Burchett said.
New York Congressman Mike Lawler says this can’t happen ever again.
“We need to get to the bottom of what happened,” Lawler said.
A Senate Committee also plans to launch a bipartisan investigation.
The FBI is leading the investigation of the 20-year-old shooter. They have not yet reported on a motive.