Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) sent a letter to President Joe Biden (D) calling for up-to-date “transparency and accountability” concerning the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump (R). On Saturday a gunman shot and nearly killed the former president at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. President Trump’s right ear was pierced by a bullet, millimeters from an even more catastrophic event. Sadly, an audience member was killed, and two spectators were critically injured. Secret Service killed the gunman.
In the letter, Sen. Scott states that the population might be enabled to “assume the worst” due to the lack of communication between the White House with Congress and the American people.
“There is a lot of information out there, some real and some not, and when there is a lack of transparency, people naturally assume the worst. I write today to urge you and your administration to take every action necessary to share updates with President Trump, Congress and the American people, and answer questions about what happened, who is being held accountable and how we make sure it never happens again.
“Now is the time for absolute transparency and accountability,” said Sen. Scott.
Furthermore, the Florida senator blasted the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security for its “gross failures” that allowed the shooter to have a clear shot at the former President.
“While we are grateful beyond words for the heroic actions of the Secret Service agents and law enforcement officers on the ground who put themselves in danger that day to protect President Trump, it is now clear to every American that there were gross failures in leadership of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other federal law enforcement agencies that led to the assassination attempt, murder and severe injuries that occurred at this event. It is a miracle that President Trump is alive and well, but absolutely inexcusable that the deranged would-be assassin had a direct line of sight to the former president and the leading candidate for President of the United States.”
Furthermore, Sen. Scott implores FBI Director Christopher Wray, USSS Director Kimberly Cheatle, and DHS Secretary Alejandro Majorkas to hold daily public press conferences to answer questions and provide updates surrounding the incident.
Finally, Scott asks President Biden if anyone has been disciplined as a result of the attempted assassination. He then directs a series of 18 questions to USSS Director Cheatle demanding answers relating to the tragic event, including a question in regard to whether she should resign.
- If the buck stops with you, and this has clearly been established as a colossal USSS breakdown and national embarrassment of historic proportion, why haven't you resigned?
- Please detail the protocol for stationing USSS personnel, including counter sniper teams, on graded roofs.
- It is well documented that the would-be assailant was identified at least 20 minutes before any shots were fired. What transpired from the time that a shooter was identified to shots being fired at the rally?
- Was the Trump campaign made aware of the increase in credible security threats received by the USSS prior to the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania?
- Why was President Trump allowed to take the stage after USSS and law enforcement on-site identified, but had not yet neutralized, a credible security threat?
- Was there a standing shoot-to-kill or shoot-to-wound/maim order given to USSS teams and participating law enforcement for the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania?
- What was the use-of-force policy and was there a stand-down order given to any law enforcement officer at the July 13th rally in Butler, Pennsylvania?
- Why didn’t the USSS employ the use of drones or other airborne assets to survey the area during the July 13th rally in Butler, Pennsylvania?
- Was the building that the shooter fired from identified during the USSS advance as a location presenting a security risk?
- Were any USSS or other U.S. government law enforcement resources diverted from the outdoor Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, to the indoor event held by First Lady Jill Biden in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on July 13th?
- Have any requests for additional protective resources by the Trump campaign been denied or gone unanswered since November 15, 2022?
- What is the USSS standard operating procedure (SOP) for an outdoor rally involving a former president? What is the SOP for a presumptive nominee and leading candidate for President of the United States? How does that SOP differ from that used for a sitting president?
- Was the SOP for protection of a former president followed and correctly executed during the July 13th rally in Butler, Pennsylvania?
- If there were deviations from the standard SOP for an outdoor rally held by a former president, please detail those deviations and the reasons for each.
- Please list the law enforcement agencies that were involved in protective services for the July 13th rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and how many officers from each of these agencies were on site, both inside and outside of the USSS perimeter.
- Was the number of law enforcement personnel present at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, more or less than the average number of law enforcement personnel present at previous outdoor rallies held by President Trump?
- Was the number of USSS agents present at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, more or less than the average number of USSS agents present at previous outdoor rallies held by President Trump?
- Which law enforcement organizations (USSS, State, Local) were responsible for each security ring?
This is a developing story.
