Staff Reports
A new bipartisan task force is set to dive into the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, and it’s being led by none other than Rep. Mike Kelly, a proud Republican from Pennsylvania. This task force, consisting of 13 members, will investigate the security breakdown that allowed a 20-year-old gunman to take aim at attendees during a rally in Butler—a place close to Kelly’s heart and home turf. Let’s hope this doesn’t turn into another cringe-inducing circus of political correctness.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced the hand-picked members of the task force, seven Republicans and six Democrats, with an admirable yet misguided goal: to examine the communication failures between federal and local law enforcement. It’s a task that’s set against a backdrop of tragedy, which saw one attendee lose their life and three others, including Trump, sustaining injuries. But one must wonder, could these Democrats have been just a tad more effective if there were fewer of them?
Kelly, serving his home district, was the brains behind the resolution creating the task force. He’s no stranger to the oversight scene, nor to hard-hitting investigations. The GOP lineup includes familiar faces like Reps. Mark Green, Dave Joyce, and Michael Waltz—all of whom bring military or law experience to the table, suggesting that they may know a thing or two about security. Meanwhile, the Democratic contingent, led by Representative Jason Crow, also comes to the table, burdened with the weight of their party’s reputation for soft-on-crime policies.
Among the Democrats, Representatives Moskowitz and Houlahan were rather quick to pump out statements thanking Johnson and Jeffries for their selections. And while they might think they’re making a valuable contribution, one can’t help but wonder if they will be asking the tough questions or just showing up for the photo ops. Moskowitz seems to want people to know he’s no stranger to investigating failures, bragging about his experience after the Parkland shooting, but his grasp of the current situation still begs the question: will he exist in the same reality as the rest of America?
Trump assassination attempt task force to be led by Republican from Butler, Pennsylvania https://t.co/SbqhPlqkY6
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) July 30, 2024
As the dust settles from the fallout over the testimony of former Secret Service Chief Kimberly Cheatle—who was called out for, let’s say, a lack of thoroughness during her appearance—there’s a palpable sense of urgency. Calls for her resignation echoed from both sides of the aisle, and she appears to have finally taken the hint after initially brushing those calls aside. Maybe this new task force can finally shed some light on the systemic failures that led to this harrowing event and ensure that future rallies don’t become shooting galleries. Meanwhile, everyone will be waiting for the acting director of the Secret Service to step up to the plate, as he’s scheduled to face Congress in what promises to be another riveting day on Capitol Hill.
