WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Lawmakers spent time Monday gathering facts about the July 13th assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump.
Lawmakers say they have more questions than answers and question why spots around the stage weren’t more secure. They say their goal is to make sure Americans know their candidates and elected officials are secure.
Congressional members got a new perspective of the shooting from the rooftop where it happened.
“We can get a sense of the area and just how close these buildings were to that stage where President Trump stood that day,” said Rep. Laurel Lee (R-Fla.).
A bipartisan task force is investigating the assassination attempt.
“In the United States, you do not get to attempt to assassinate our elected officials and our candidates. It’s unacceptable,” said Rep. Jason Crowe (D-Colo.).
Body camera video from local law enforcement shows an officer saw Thomas Matthew Crooks on the roof with a gun right before Crooks started shooting.
While the official task force was in Butler, Pennsylvania touring the site other Republican members of Congress discussed the shooting at a Washington, D.C., based think tank.
“The building he shot from is outside of the perimeter. And the video we can see him clearly, just a mere 130 yards away,” said Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas.).
They questioned a member of the SWAT team who says he was on the scene that day and felt unprepared.
“We really felt like we were on the back foot and just tried to overcome that throughout the day and gather what we could,” said SWAT team member Ben Shaffer.
Five of the Secret Service agents who oversaw the planning of the event are now on administrative leave.
The former director of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, resigned because of the assassination attempt.