Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chair Gary Peters (D-Mich.) says he’s asked for detailed briefings on the security situation at former President Trump’s rally in Butler, Pa., and pledged to pursue a “bipartisan investigation” of the incident and a “comprehensive assessment” of campaign trail security.
Republican members of the Senate Homeland Security Committee have demanded hearings in the wake of the shooting, which exposed what appeared to be a serious lapse in Trump’s security at the rally, where the former President was grazed by a bullet, one person was killed and at least two others injured.
“We’ve announced we’re going to be doing a … bipartisan investigation from the Committee on Homeland Security to look at the events that occurred and determine whether or not there were breaches that we need to close,” Peters told reporters at the Capitol on Monday.
The Democratic committee chair said he spoke “at length” with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Sunday and would have a briefing Monday with the FBI.
Asked about calls for President Biden to drop his reelection campaign, Peters reiterated that he is “focused on starting this bipartisan investigation to find out exactly what happened” and to makes sure something like it doesn’t happen again.
“We have to make sure that the Secret Service and other law enforcement have the resources necessary to protect presidents and former presidents, as well as other elected officials,” he said.
He also said he would try to “expedite” a hearing on the shooting, after members of his committee, including Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), called for Department of Homeland Security and Secret Service officials to testify before the panel this month.
“We’ll try to expedite it. So right now, we’re asking for detailed briefings for committee members,” Peters told reporters.
He said the investigation and hearing would be similar to what the Homeland Security Committee did after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
“We did a comprehensive assessment of security after Jan. 6. In that investigation, we had a number of recommendations, and a significant number of those recommendations have now been incorporated into the security practices here at the Capitol,” Peters noted.
“That template of what we did [for] Jan. 6, we’re going to do it again, for this horrific attack on the former president,” he said.
Peters said potential threats against members of Congress are also “concerning,” given what he called the “polarized time.”
“There’s a great deal of vitriol on social media right now. And that’s not helpful. It’s important for everyone to take a step back and cool down. But, certainly, some of the rhetoric that we’re seeing on social media should be concerning to all Americans,” he said.
Peters is also chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, whose job it is to protect Democratic incumbents running for reelection.
Al Weaver contributed.
