Pennsylvania House Republican Proposes Commission to Investigate Trump Assassination Attempt

The top Republican in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Friday called for the creation of a bipartisan select committee to investigate the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in western Pennsylvania.

State Rep. Bryan Cutler (R., Lancaster), the House minority leader, introduced a resolution to create a commission of inquiry to examine how state and local law enforcement planned and responded the day of the shooting.

But his Democratic counterpart, House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia), appeared to reject that idea Friday, with her spokesman saying the speaker “is confident that the FBI and Congress have the tools necessary to conduct comprehensive investigations,” including working with state and local police.

That leaves the fate and timing of Cutler’s proposal unclear. Democrats controlled the chamber this session but are now in a numerical minority after two resignations this week. Both seats are in Philadelphia and are considered safely blue. Special elections are scheduled for Sept. 17.

State lawmakers are on holiday recess and do not plan to return to Harrisburg until mid-September.

” READ MORE: Trump mentions Butler attack at start of RNC speech, pays tribute to slain firefighter

Last weekend, during a rally, a gunman stretched out on top of a building opened fire on Trump with an assault rifle, hitting him in the right ear, killing one attendee and wounding two others.

Since the shooting, the U.S. Secret Service and its law enforcement partners have been under intense scrutiny over how a would-be assassin was able to climb onto a roof with a rifle less than 150 yards from the former president. The Washington Post reported that local police told the Secret Service they did not have personnel to secure the building where the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was positioned.

In a statement, Cutler said the commission, which is expected to be composed of three Republicans and three Democrats, “will not be assigning blame.”

He added that the group will identify operational shortcomings and improve coordination ahead of large-scale events in the coming years, including political rallies expected this year and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.

“Pennsylvania is a battleground state that will be the epicenter of many high-profile campaign events throughout the remainder of the 2024 election season,” Cutler said. “It is imperative that we identify what happened from a state and local perspective on July 13 as we work to improve our effectiveness in keeping citizens and candidates safe during their campaign events in Pennsylvania.”

The proposal comes as lawmakers in Washington are still trying to find answers about how the Secret Service handled the Butler incident.

“I think we all have the same basic question, which is why, when a presidential candidate stands at a podium in an open place where there are not 100 buildings to secure, why is this building not secured?” U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.) said Wednesday during a visit to Harrisburg.

“You don’t have to be a law enforcement professional to ask that fundamental question,” he said.

Article co-authored by Gillian McGoldrick.