Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., detailed a Secret Service briefing given to senators Wednesday about the recent assassination attempt on former President Trump, saying “virtually no information was provided.”
“It's infuriating,” he told Fox News Digital in an interview.
“The director of the Secret Service admitted that there were mistakes and blunders,” he added, referring to Kimberly Cheatle.
But the briefing, which was given by an independent official, “was largely irrelevant,” Johnson said. Only four senators were allowed to ask questions and there was no follow-up, he said.
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Sen. Ron Johnson criticized a Secret Service briefing that he said failed to convey enough information to senators. (Fake Images)
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, asked the service when they first learned of the person who ultimately shot Trump and others at the outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, according to Johnson. The whistleblower said they learned of Thomas Crooks’ existence about an hour before he opened fire.
“That's a $64,000 question. When did you identify the sniper team? [him]When did you have it in [their] “What places of interest?” Johnson asked. “Did they ask for permission to alleviate the threat? Was it denied?”
“Those are the questions that are being asked,” he said.
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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is rushed off the stage during a rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“They should have provided that from the beginning,” the senator said.
He suggested it was counterintuitive for the service to withhold key information about the incident while claiming to want transparency and seeking to prevent the spread of conspiracy theories.
“They should be addressing what's going on now,” Johnson said. “But they didn't.”
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle (KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images/File)
The Wisconsin Republican criticized the service's briefing, saying, “They need to open it up so people can ask detailed questions.” [and] follow-up questions.”
“That's not what this is about,” he said. “It was kind of a quick briefing, which doesn't provide information, but just gives four senators the opportunity to ask questions… this doesn't provide the kind of information that people need.”
He said the lack of information at the press conference led to various reports by the media: “This is not the way it should be done.”
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Secret Service agents gather to cover Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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The assassination attempt on Trump left him bloodied and with a wound to his right ear, but ultimately fine — enough so that he opted not to delay his attendance at the Republican National Convention this week. One spectator was killed at the rally, Corey Comperatore. He was fatally shot while shielding his family from bullets. Two other people injured at the event are hospitalized.
Lawmakers have expressed significant concerns following the shooting as more details suggest mistakes by the Secret Service and law enforcement.
