Representative Laurel Lee (R-FL) appeared on News Nation to discuss some of the recent takeaways she’s made as a part of the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump. The bipartisan membership of the task force has been asked to investigate and identify the mistakes made on July 13 and how to ensure they don’t happen again.
The Florida congresswoman believes the number of U.S. Secret Service (USSS) agents needs to be looked at.
One of the key takeaways from our investigation thus far into the assassination attempts on President Trump has been the communication failures between local law enforcement and the Secret Service—especially on the day of the July 13 rally.
My colleagues and I in Congress will… pic.twitter.com/WfyvAauTGO
— Congresswoman Laurel Lee (@RepLaurelLee) October 28, 2024
“Well, I do think there needs to be a look at whether there are enough Secret Service agents on this protective mission, and also, how can they effectively train and prepare their partners, whether it's from Homeland Security, Investigations, or local law enforcement,” Rep. Lee began. “How can those individuals also be better prepared and integrated into the Secret Service mission? So, I do think there will need to be really an expansion of the number of highly trained, specialized Secret Service agents.”
Furthermore, Rep. Lee mentioned that funding for additional USSS agents will be needed, but that doesn’t mean more taxpayer dollars will need to be spent.
“Whether that requires additional funding is a different question,” said Lee. “There is, overall, a lot of funding going to the Department of Homeland Security, so it might be that we need to refine where that's being spent, how it’s being spent, but I don't think there's any question that we need additional Secret Service agents on the ground who are prepared to take this mission on.”
Earlier this month, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) recently revealed a whistleblower who alleged the Secret Service was hiding details about former President Donald Trump's security.
According to Sen. Hawley, the whistleblower alleged the Secret Service denied auditors access to expenses for certain Trump campaign events to hide security shortfalls despite claims the former president was receiving adequate protection.
In response to these findings, Rep. Lee stated that USSS has bumped up its security, which implies he could’ve had more from the beginning.
"Since the original assassination attempt, the Secret Service has significantly enhanced the assets that are surrounding President Trump, and while I recognize that certainly, there is a need to perhaps not share publicly exactly what they are doing because we do not want to inform our adversaries, it is vital that they share with these committees and Congress that are conducting oversight," said Lee.
Americans will decide between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris (D) on Nov. 5.
