(The Center Square) – Members of Florida’s Republican congressional delegation are demanding answers on how the U.S. Secret Service again failed to secure the perimeter of former President Donald Trump’s golf course on Sunday, enabling another shooter to come within several hundred yards of the president armed with an AK-47 style rifle.
They’re also calling out Democrats for suggesting that Trump brought it on himself and for blaming Republicans when the shooter was a Democrat and Democrats have for years said Trump “is a threat to democracy.”
Last month, U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, an Army combat veteran, led a forum to determine “whether negligence by Secret Service displayed incompetence or potentially nefarious intent” leading to the first failed assassination attempt in Butler, Pa., in July.
After the second assassination attempt on Sunday, he demanded that the Biden administration increase “assets and precautions based upon risk assessments.”
U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, a Navy veteran, said after the first failed assassination attempt that a congressional task force hasn’t “even been given answers on the last shooting that happened in Butler, Pennsylvania,” including “the names of every single Secret Service agent that was on the ground that day.”
He also said, “the Trump team has repeatedly asked [Department of Homeland Security] Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas for more Secret Service agents to protect President Trump and had been refused until the Butler shooting multiple different times. Why is that?”
The former head of Secret Service refused to resign until she was forced to after at a congressional hearing both Democrats and Republicans demanded her resignation. Members of Congress also filed impeachment charges against her.
To date, members of Congress have not received the information they requested from Mayorkas and the Secret Service about the Butler shooting.
“It's very frustrating as a member of Congress,” Steube said to not have answers from the agencies that are “supposed to be deemed the only job to protect our former and current presidents and they're not doing it appropriately.”
While claims have been made that Trump has not received the level of protection he should because he is not a sitting president, Mills said, “it’s not the position or title in which you hold that determines a person’s level of risk. Therefore, the assets and resources the Secret Service provides should be determined upon the type of threats and what it takes to mitigate them.”
While also demanding answers from DHS and Secret Service, other Republicans in Florida’s congressional delegation are calling out Democrats and media pundits for initially claiming the shooter was a Republican and for blaming Republicans and Trump supporters for the assassination attempt.
Rep. Brian Mast said, “How are Democrats reacting to another assassination attempt on President Trump? @RepJeffries says we must stop ‘Extreme MAGA Republicans.’ @MSNBC says the Trump campaign needs to turn down the rhetoric. Beyond evil.”
U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack also criticized CNN commentator Erin Burnett, who on Sunday night said “it may be crass to say but the Harris campaign is massively out-fundraising Trump so he will use this assassination attempt to raise money.”
CNN has surpassed ABC News as being the “least trustworthy media outlet” and Burnett’s comments were “disgusting,” Cammack said.
The alleged shooter was a long-time Democrat who exclusively donated to Democratic candidates 19 times since 2019, according to Federal Election Commission data, The New York Post reported.
Cammack also called out Democrats for minimizing the second failed assassination attempt, including Rachel Vindman, whose brother, Eugene Vindman, is running for Congress in Virginia. She posted on X, “Trump has been inciting violence against his enemies for years. He douses the situation in gasoline, lights a match, and walks away claiming no responsibility.” When others called her out on her comments, she said, “No ears were harmed. Carry on with your Sunday afternoon.
“Sorry you’re triggered. I mean no I’m not. I don’t care a little bit.”
In response, Cammack said, “Her brother is running for Congress. Help end his campaign by donating to his opponent,” combat veteran Republican Derrick Anderson.
Anderson noted that his opponent “has still not condemned the horrible statements by his family members and political advisors tonight. In fact, the Vindman family has actually doubled and tripled down on their hateful rhetoric and are now justifying the second failed assassination attempt on Trump. A dangerous precedent. While my opponent is failing the leadership and decency test as we speak, I will always stand up to do what is right for #VA07, my home, the place that raised me. The American people must be our priority over partisan politics right now.”
Rep. Anna Luna agreed with Cammack and Anderson, saying, “The radical left has continued to label Republicans and Americans who simply want to have a safe and prosperous country as threats to democracy. This irresponsible rhetoric is causing people to get hurt. This election is absolutely one of the most important elections in our history. We cannot bow down to intimidation, violence, and persecution. We must stand strong and bring home the win this November. Our family is praying for president trump as he has taken on a monumental task.”
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