Slow, steady, bipartisan: Facts, not fiction, guide Rep. Mike Kelly in Trump shooting probe

Controversial claims and conspiracy theories have proliferated in the six weeks since the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. On Monday, the conservative Heritage Foundation hosted an event at which some Republican lawmakers claimed the Secret Service might have been criminally negligent and pushed the notion that the shooter didn’t act alone.

U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Butler, wasn’t having any of it.

As some of his colleagues embraced all manner of speculation, Kelly spent Monday touring the Butler County shooting site with the bipartisan group officially investigating the shooting at the ill-fated rally.

Kelly preached a slow, methodical approach and tried to stay above any political fray. He emphasized that Republicans and Democrats are working across the aisle to get to the bottom of the security lapses that allowed a nursing home aide to nearly kill a former president.

“I understand that people are anxious to get out there with stories, but let’s make sure that we are sure,” said Kelly, who is heading the task force investigating the shooting that injured Trump, killed a Buffalo Township resident and severely wounded two rallygoers. “This has lasting effects on people. Let’s get all the answers before we make a final decision.”

In the aftermath of the shooting, the Secret Service director resigned, gaps in security were exposed and finger-pointing erupted between local law enforcement and the Secret Service.

Kelly, who was about 50 feet from Trump during the shooting, spent about an hour touring the grounds of the Butler Farm Show with the majority of the 13-member Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump. He was joined by two other Republicans and six Democrats.

Local law enforcement escorted the group as they walked around the Butler Farm Show grounds and among the cluster of buildings just outside the grounds. They also took the House members onto the roof where authorities said Thomas Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park fired a volley of shots before being killed by a Secret Service countersniper.

The congressman from Butler pushed back against the wild theories and unfounded claims surrounding the Trump shooting and said it was too early to make any accusations. People should let the task force complete its work before jumping to conclusions, he said.

‘Secure the high ground’

The task force, which is split between seven Republicans and six Democrats, was created last month with a unanimous vote by more than 400 members of the House, a rare feat of cooperation in the chamber.

Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., is a former Army Ranger who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said at a news conference after the tour that the task force’s unanimous support and bipartisan nature gives it more legitimacy than many other investigating agencies.

“It sends a strong message that you don’t have to be a Democrat or a Republican or an unaffiliated voter to say there is no room for political violence in this country,” Crow said.

Crow reiterated Kelly’s call to let the task force find the truth. Its most important mission, he said, is to learn why the shooter was able to access a roof of a building just 400 feet from where Trump was speaking.

“Before serving in Congress, I was an Army Ranger, and one of the fundamental principles is you always secure the high ground,” Crow said. “I definitely took note today that there were a lot of lines of sight that were unsecure.”

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, an Air Force veteran who represents Chester and Berks counties near Philadelphia, said her district is evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. All people, she said, deserve to feel safe when campaigning or sharing political opinions.

“No one should be vulnerable when expressing their political thoughts,” Houlahan said.

Trump to return

Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., said the task force has received briefings from the Secret Service and the FBI, as well as local and state law enforcement agencies. She added that the task force will consolidate all other House investigations into one group and intends to speak to people who attended the July 13 rally.

One of the main takeaways from the tour, according to the task force members, was how close Crooks was able to get to Trump. Crooks was stationed on a roof just 400 feet from where Trump was speaking.

The task force is investigating why there was no law enforcement on the roof from which Crooks fired.

Kelly said another pressing question the task force is looking to answer is why the Secret Service didn’t take Trump off the stage when local law enforcement reported seeing Crooks just outside the building.

“If you have eyesight on someone who is suspicious, why in the world do you let former President Trump come out and stand at that podium?” Kelly asked.

Despite the shooting, Trump has vowed to return to Butler to hold another rally. His campaign has not released any details.

Kelly, a close Trump ally, said Trump told him he is committed to coming back to Butler but has not finalized a location.

“It is hard to talk him out of something once he has made up his mind,” Kelly said. “I said, ‘Please be careful of where you choose to show up. I want you there on (Election Night).’ ”