U.S. Rep. James Comer’s effort to impeach President Joe Biden disintegrated into thin air. His venture to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt cleared the House floor, but hasn’t produce the presidential audiotapes Republicans are seeking.
But the Kentucky Republican’s newest undertaking — getting to the bottom of the Secret Service failure that allowed a gunman’s bullet to graze the face of former President Donald Trump during a campaign event — could prove to be his most meaningful act as chairman of the House Oversight Committee.
President Joe Biden is backing a “thorough and swift” review of the security breakdown, lending bipartisan imprimatur to a deep inquisition of the agency tasked with protecting the nation’s top political figures.
Comer wants the agency’s director, Kimberly Cheatle, to testify before his committee as soon as next Monday, and he told Fox News that he’s “100% confident” that she will show up after discussions with Cheatle.
“By next Monday, she should have a lot of answers to a lot of questions that not only the Oversight Committee has, but the American people have,” Comer said. He added that his committee would receive a briefing Tuesday on the details surrounding Saturday’s attempted assassination of Trump.
Some of the questions likely to be raised: How much did Secret Service depend on local law enforcement to secure the rally site and surrounding areas in Butler, Pa.? Was there any intelligence pointing to a threat prior to the rally? And how could a gunman so easily perch on a roof so close — within just 170 yards — to an event featuring a former president without alarming security?
“Secret Service personnel on the ground moved quickly during the incident, with our counter sniper team neutralizing the shooter and our agents implementing protective measures to ensure the safety of former President Donald Trump,” Cheatle said in a statement Monday.
Some rally attendees told members of the press that they had attempted to warn law enforcement of the gunman on the rooftop to no avail. A Secret Service representative told the New York Times that local Pennsylvania police were tasked with securing the area outside the rally area.
Changes to protective protocols seem almost certain.
“The perimeter around candidates will expand, as it should,” said Sidney Blumenthal, a former adviser to President Clinton who worked with Secret Service agents during his White House tenure.
The Secret Service received a 9% increase to its budget this year, one of the largest increases in recent memory, leaving little room for Cheatle to cite a lack of resources as a problem.
Comer told Fox that he wants a full-scale hearing that not only examines the failure at the Trump event, but makes sure that the agency is better prepared to protect the presidential candidates during the homestretch of the 2024 campaign.
“Try to determine if we’re in better shape moving forward to protect not only Donald Trump, but also Joe Biden and I believe we should have Secret Service protection for Robert F. Kennedy as well,” Comer said.
The Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly denied Kennedy’s request for Secret Service protection, despite documented threats to his safety. But a pair of New York House members have introduced legislation to extend enhanced protection to the candidates, including Kennedy.
On Sunday, U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie also said it was “ long past time ” for the Biden administration to grant protection to Kennedy.
Cheatle said the security plan the Secret Service put in place for the Republican National Convention had been reviewed and strengthened since Saturday’s shooting. She said she had also implemented changes to Trump’s security detail “to ensure his continued protection for the convention and the remainder of the campaign.”
This story has been updated to reflect the passage of the Garland contempt resolution on the House floor.
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