Senators grill new Secret Service chief at Trump assassination attempt hearing

Washington — Top officials with the U.S. Secret Service and FBI testified before two Senate committees Tuesday about the security lapses that led to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

The joint hearing with Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate grew heated at several points, with senators pressing Rowe for explanations about the security failures that allowed 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks to open fire at the rally on July 13. Trump and two others were injured, and one attendee was killed .

Senators on the Homeland Security Committee and Judiciary Committee questioned Rowe about the planning for the event and the communication breakdowns between Secret Service agents on site and local law enforcement who were helping with security. Rowe said local officers who were stationed near the roof where the gunman was perched should have seen him before he opened fire, but acknowledged the Secret Service was ultimately responsible for securing the site and was "ashamed" by the shooting.

Abbate also revealed that the FBI has discovered a social media account believed to belong to the shooter that left "extreme" comments online in 2019 and 2020, including comments that "appear to reflect antisemitic and anti-immigration themes" and "espouse political violence."

Rowe took on the role of acting director of the Secret Service after the resignation of Kimberly Cheatle, who stepped down as the head of the agency after a disastrous performance before House lawmakers last week.

Here's how the hearing played out:

Homeland Security committee chair calls security lapses "inexcusable" as hearing convenes

Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, kicked off the joint hearing with an opening statement, in which he decried the attack at Trump's rally and the security failures that allowed the gunman to gain access to the roof of the AGR building and fire eight rounds before he was killed.

"This was an attack on our democracy. Americans should be able to attend a political rally and express their political beliefs without fear of violence," Peters said. "And political candidates for our nation's highest office should be confident their safety will never be compromised for their service."

The Michigan senator said the attack is a "shocking reminder" that the threat of political violence is "alive and well." He called the security and planning failures "inexcusable."

Peters said the committee still needs information from the Secret Service about the resources at the rally, including counter sniper teams, as well as what he called a "problematic" communications style.

Paul says Trump attack was "monumental failure"

Sen. Rand Paul, the ranking Republican on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, somberly recalled the events of July 13. He accused the media of "shamefully" moving on and said he was seeking answers about how the security failure occurred.

"There is no question that this was a monumental failure by the Secret Service," Paul said. "What remains unclear is who specifically failed, how they failed and what must be done to ensure that something like this never happens again."

Paul said investigators must now focus on why the roof and grounds were left unattended, and why Trump was allowed to take the stage.

"It is our duty and our utmost responsibility to ensure that we learn from this failure and hold those responsible accountable," he concluded.

Durbin raises concerns with "easy access" to AR-style firearms

Durbin, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, likened the assassination attempt to the plot of a fiction book and questioned how a 20-year-old was able to evade the Secret Service and fire at the former president and Republican presidential nominee.

"There's more to this story and other aspects that we ought to consider as well," Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, said, raising concerns with what he said is the "widespread" and "easy access" to AR-style weapons.

Durbin's focus on the firearm used in the shooting and the need to combat gun violence echoed comments from House Democrats on the Judiciary and Oversight Committees during hearings last week.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, the top Republican on the Judiciary panel, also delivered brief remarks, in which he called for accountability.

"Somebody's got to be fired," the South Carolina senator said. "Nothing is going to change until somebody loses their job."

Secret Service chief says what he saw in Butler "made me ashamed"

Rowe testified in his opening statement about the actions he's taken since being appointed acting director of the Secret Service, including traveling to the site of the shooting in Butler to gain a better understanding of how the Secret Service protection of Trump failed.

"What I saw made me ashamed," Rowe said, adding that he "cannot defend why that roof was not better secured."

Rowe outlined how every site's security plan will now be thoroughly vetted by multiple supervisors and other corrective actions the agency is taking to prevent future attacks, while revealing what the personnel on the grounds knew about the threat to Trump.

"Neither the Secret Service counter-sniper teams nor members of the former president's security detail had any knowledge that there was a man on the roof of the AGR building with a firearm," Rowe said, explaining that they were unaware until they heard gunshots.

Rowe said the Secret Service counter-sniper who took out Crooks had "full discretion to use deadly force" to stop an attacker and did not need to seek authorization to fire.

Abbate said FBI's investigation has not identified gunman's motive

Abbate, the FBI deputy director, told lawmakers that the bureau's investigation is focused on identifying Crooks' motive, determining whether he worked with any co-conspirators and building the timeline of his actions in the lead-up to the shooting.

Abbate also reiterated that Trump was struck by a bullet fired from Crooks' gun.

The investigation has not identified a motive or any co-conspirators, or other people with advanced knowledge of Crooks' plans, he said.

Abbate told senators the FBI has conducted 460 interviews, obtained search warrants for his residence and seized his electronic devices and related media. He said that Crooks' actions show "advanced planning and reconnaissance."

The FBI deputy director then ran through a timeline of events leading up to the shooting and said Crooks was first identified at 4:26 p.m. Twenty-five minutes before the shooting, the Secret Service's command was notified of a suspicious person.

Abbate said recently discovered video shows the shooter pulling himself up onto the roof of the AGR building at 6:06 p.m., and he was observed on the roof by local law enforcement two minutes later.

At 6:11 p.m., just before Crooks began firing, a local police officer was lifted to the roof, saw the shooter and radioed that he was armed with a "long gun," Abbate said.

FBI discovered social media account tied to shooter that left "extreme" comments

Toward the end of his statement, Abbate said the FBI had discovered a social media account "believed to be associated with the shooter" that left about 700 comments online in roughly 2019 and 2020.

"Some of these comments, if ultimately attributable to the shooter, appear to reflect antisemitic and anti-immigration themes, to espouse political violence and are described as extreme in nature," he said. "While the investigative team is still working to verify this account to determine if it did in fact belong to the shooter, we believe it important to share and note it today, particularly given the general absence of other information to date from social media and other sources of information that reflect o the shooter's potential motive and mindset."

Durbin raises questions about security for Democratic National Convention next month

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, asked the witnesses whether the security plan for the upcoming Democratic National Convention would take "into consideration the lessons of July 13," to which both men replied that the plans would.

"That is 100% yes from the Secret Service," Rowe said.

Abbate added that the FBI has been working on the security plan for over a year in preparation.

The convention begins on Aug. 19 in Chicago.

Graham tells Secret Service acting chief to "think big" when it comes to resources and funding

Graham focused many of his questions on the resources for the Secret Service and the encrypted messaging apps used by Crooks.

"Think big" when it comes to resources, Graham said. He later said his conclusion is partly that the Secret Service needs "more money and more people."

The South Carolina senator then asked about whether the FBI gained access to encrypted messaging apps used by Crooks.

Abbate said the FBI has experienced "a range of returns."

"We need a solution that provides lawful access to law enforcement," he said.

In dramatic testimony, Secret Service chief lays out views of gunman on the roof

Asked by Sen. Peters about a detailed site survey and how it was approved "when it was so clear that that was a major threat from that building," Rowe delivered dramatic testimony outlining the views of the gunman from where he was positioned on the roof.

"Why was the assailant not seen?" Rowe said as he pointed to an image depicting where the shooter fired from, as seen from a nearby building where police officers were stationed. "When we were told that building was going to be covered, that there had been a face-to-face that afternoon, that our team leads met — this was the view."

He also laid out the view that Secret Service counter-snipers closer to Trump would have had of the gunman, saying the shooter would have been mostly hidden from their view.

"This is what our counter-sniper team saw," Rowe said.

"Let me just tell you, this counter-sniper, this individual, I know him, I consider him a friend. He has covered me operationally in conflict zones and when I did my time on the president's detail," Rowe added. "He exemplifies the courage, skill and the ability to respond under great stress in such a short time to neutralize the threat and prevent further loss of life."

Rowe expressed confusion about how the shooter could have been unnoticed by police who had a better view of the roof.

"When I laid in that position I could not and I will not and I cannot understand why there was not better coverage, or at least somebody looking at that roofline, when that's where they were posted," Rowe said.

Rowe says information about shooter on roof was "stuck" in local communications challenge

Rowe detailed the breakdown in communication between the Secret Service and local police who were on hand at the rally to assist with security.

In response to a question from Peters about the time needed for the Secret Service to react before the gunman opened fire had they been aware he was on the roof, Rowe said if the agency would've had that information, they would've been able to address it quickly.

"It appears that that information was stuck or siloed in that state and local channel," he said.

Rowe added it is "troubling" that the Secret Service didn't get information about a suspicious person on the roof of the AGR building "as quickly as we should have."

He said Secret Service personnel on the ground only knew that local law enforcement were working "an issue" to the former president's right, "nothing about a man on the roof, nothing about a man with a gun, none of that information ever made it over our net."

Rowe said the Secret Service is working to address interoperability issues and to ensure agents have access to state and local communications challenges.

"That roof should've had better coverage and we will get to the bottom of if there were any policy violations," he said.

Secret Service chief calls the attack "a failure of imagination"

Asked by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, what exactly went wrong on July 13, Rowe said, "I think this was a failure of imagination."

"A failure to imagine that we actually do live in a very dangerous world where people do actually want to do harm to our protectees," he continued. "I think it was a failure to challenge our own assumptions, the assumptions that we know our partners are going to do everything that they can."

Rowe said the Secret Service didn't challenge its own assumptions about what would be covered and that there would be a uniform presence while working with local partners. He said moving forward, he's directed that the agency is very specific about "what we want" and their explicit expectations from partner agencies like local law enforcement who assist at events.

Rowe says there were cellular and radio issues on the day of shooting

Rowe told senators that to address the "complex challenge" of radio interoperability between federal and local agencies, the Secret Service relies on a security room, where there are representatives from local agencies who will bring their own radio and relay relevant information that would impact the agency's security plan.

Regarding the rally, Rowe said there was a Secret Service unified command post with a security room, but said communications at the site were "challenging," as there were cellular and radio issues.

Abbate was then asked about whether the gunman took any action in the lead-up to the shooting that would've caused alarm for federal or local law enforcement. He said Crooks did not have any interaction before the attack, and the FBI hasn't found any information that would've led to it or the Secret Service being alerted.

Abbate also revealed there was a meeting between the Secret Service and FBI in the days before the rally, where they discussed whether there was any intelligence or information about threats against the rally or Trump or anyone else there.

"There was an absence of that in the lead-up," he said. "None of us had any information or holdings with regard to the ultimate shooter."

Secret Service chief aims to prevent "tunnel vision" going forward

Sen. Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, asked how vetting from experienced supervisors of every site's security plans would help prevent attacks going forward.

Rowe said having "many eyes" helps prevent "tunnel vision," saying it's important at the field office and detail level to implement the new protocol for additional scrutiny from supervisors.

"I think having that collaboration and having additional eyes to examine the problem will make sure that we're not missing anything," Rowe said.

When asked about the Secret Service's communication plan with Congress and the American people, Rowe pledged to be transparent.

"My view is that sunshine is the best disinfectant," Rowe said. "We intend to provide information to Congress as it carries out its oversight function."

Adding to the earlier line of questioning about the connectivity issues, Rowe said he had "no explanation" for the cellular bandwidth problems and how they delayed the agency's ability to locate the gunman well in advance of the attack. He added that moving forward, the agency is working to improve connectivity.

Rowe says Secret Service has provided additional resources for Mar-a-Lago

Pressed by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rowe told senators that the Secret Service has provided additional resources for Mar-a-Lago, Trump's South Florida residence.

He said the agency has made "significant investments" since Trump left office in January 2021, including more than $4 million in technology and resources.

Rowe also refuted a report published Tuesday from the news outlet RealClearPolitics that claimed he played a role in limiting resources for Trump, calling it "false."

FBI deputy director describes what the bureau knows about how gunman brought rifle onto the roof

Asked by Democratic Sen. Laphonza Butler of California about how the gunman was able to get a rifle onto the roof, Abbate said the FBI doesn't have definitive evidence yet, but "we do believe he likely had it in the backpack."

Abbate said based on the size of the rifle, it would have been visible sticking out of the backpack, but he said the bureau hasn't heard from anyone who observed that happening.

The deputy director said there is video of the gunman that suggests the shooter returned to his car just before the shooting to retrieve the backpack, before traversing the roof with the backpack in front of him. He was then seen with the rifle on the roof. Abbate added that it's possible the gunman broke the rifle down and reassembled it on the roof, which is one of the theories they're looking into.

The FBI previously said the gun had a collapsible stock.