A leading Senate Democrat has openly criticized the Biden-Harris administration for its lack of transparency concerning inquiries into assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump and potential shortcomings of the U.S. Secret Service.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) within the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), has accused the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of being "almost derelict in its duty by resisting our requests for documents, evidence and information that are necessary to investigate."
According to Fox News, Blumenthal expressed his growing frustration with the DHS, stating that he has become "angry" at the department's reluctance to be more "forthcoming." The Senator hinted at the possibility of future subpoenas to compel the DHS to cooperate, stating, "We may need to require more cooperation from them. And we have the power to do so through the compulsory process. In other words, the subpoena power."
Senator Ron Johnson, the PSI's Ranking Member, echoed Blumenthal's sentiments, criticizing the DHS for its lack of transparency and suggesting that their withholding of information is "driving suspicion and driving conspiracy theories." Johnson also expressed hope that his Democratic counterparts on the PSI and HSGAC, including Chairman Gary Peters, are becoming frustrated with the situation.
Johnson recounted an incident where a letter, which took weeks to be signed by all four offices, was sent to the Secret Service and DHS. The response received within four hours was described as "pretty disrespectful." Johnson believes this incident has further fueled the frustration of Chairman Peters and Chairman Blumenthal, stating, "They're not happy with the way they're treating them."
The DHS and the Secret Service did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
This controversy comes in the wake of a recent incident at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where the Secret Service opened fire after a suspect was seen raising a weapon. The suspect, identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, allegedly pushed the muzzle of an AK-47 through the chain-link fence near where Trump was golfing. Routh fled the scene in a black Nissan SUV but was later apprehended by authorities.
The HSGAC and PSI have been investigating the earlier assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13. They recently received a briefing from Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, which reportedly left them frustrated and disappointed by the revealed failures. This ongoing investigation and the recent incident in Florida underscore the importance of transparency and cooperation from the DHS and Secret Service, a point that Senators Blumenthal and Johnson continue to emphasize.
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