Multiple probes examine security failures that led to Trump assassination attempt

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Officials in Western Pennsylvania are speaking out about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

Yeah, they say the Secret Service failed to secure the building accessed by the shooter, while their officers responded quickly to reports of a suspicious person. Now, these officials have now been called to testify on Capitol Hill next week. Lawmakers are demanding answers and accountability.

MARTIN: NPR's congressional correspondent, Claudia Grisales, is with us to tell us more about all this. Good morning, Claudia.

CLAUDIA GRISALES, BYLINE: Good morning.

MARTIN: So what are lawmakers planning?

GRISALES: The number of congressional investigations into the security plans for this rally are growing by the day. For example, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced one of the newest probes yesterday, and that will be comprised of a bipartisan task force that he plans to launch on Monday. He says this task force will have subpoena power, and he argued they will be able to work faster. These investigations are about the lapses that led to the shooting, but the FBI is conducting its own inquiry into the gunman's motives, and President Biden ordered an independent review of what happened.

MARTIN: So this seems like a lot. As you just kind of pointed out, there seems to be some overlap here. Where do these various things stand?

GRISALES: Right. The Democratic chair of the Senate Homeland Security panel will lead a bipartisan probe into the shooting, while several individual senators say they're conducting their own investigations. And this is also the case for several members in the House, where the Republican-led House Oversight Committee has already subpoenaed the head of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, who is now set to appear on the Hill on Monday. And this is as the GOP-led House Homeland Security panel is also expecting to hear testimony from Cheatle and the heads of DHS, which oversees Secret Service and the FBI. The panel's chairman for homeland security, Mark Green, asked law enforcement officials with the Pennsylvania State Police and Butler County, where the shooting took place, to also testify.

MARTIN: So I get the sense that the local officials seem to have a different take on all this.

GRISALES: Exactly. As we mentioned at the top, they're expected to defend their officers and detail how the Secret Service may have had a lapse in planning. For example, one of those witnesses asked to testify, Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe, told me his deputies performed their duties at their assigned areas. They went above and beyond before and after the shooting, started to help witnesses and assist police in clearing nearby buildings, and he also recounted that it was an officer from Butler Township who attempted to confront the shooter on the roof, but the shooter aimed at the officer, who had no choice but to turn back.

And yesterday, our colleagues obtained a new statement from Butler Township, saying their police were largely charged with traffic control, but they responded quickly at reports of a suspicious person and confirmed one of their officers pulled himself up to the roof's edge but had to let go and fall when the shooter took aim at this officer. And another official said they believe this confrontation is what ultimately threw off the shooter's plans.

MARTIN: Where does this all leave the Secret Service?

GRISALES: They are in crisis. Last night, at the Republican National Convention, several U.S. senators confronted Cheatle, who was there, sharing this bit of a surreal moment on video, where they accused her of stonewalling and saying she owes Trump answers. But we should also note this is a reminder of how much politics plays out today with these sort of recorded confrontational moments. That said, Cheatle's testimony will be a high-stakes moment for her and the agency on Monday. She was part of a series of virtual, closed-door briefings on the shooting yesterday for members that left some leaving the meeting calling for her resignation, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

MARTIN: That is NPR's Claudia Grisales. Claudia, thank you.

GRISALES: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.