Getty ImagesDonald Trump’s assassin was flagged as “suspicious” an hour before he opened fire and his phone’s history showed he had searched for photos of the Republican, senators hear People are calling for the director of the U.S. Secret Service to resign.
In two closed briefings to members of the House and Senate on Wednesday, law enforcement officials, including the Secret Service, shared limited new information about security and the man who opened fire at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso said the Secret Service told them they spotted the attacker an hour before the attack but then lost sight of him in the crowd.
“He was considered a suspicious person because [he had] Rangefinder and backpack. This was over an hour before the actual shooting,” he told Fox News.
“So, over the course of that hour, you think, you shouldn’t ignore this guy.”
An official familiar with the briefing also revealed during the briefing that the gunman had visited the Butler County Fairgrounds, the site of the attack, in the days before the assassination attempt and had previously searched for symptoms of depression on his phone. news.
Attackers also used mobile phones to search for photos of Trump and President Joe Biden. FBI Director Wray told lawmakers on a conference call that more than 200 interviews had been conducted and 14,000 images reviewed.
Several Republican senators criticized investigators for a lack of transparency on the call and expressed anger that Trump was allowed to take the stage even after the threat was discovered.
“I’m shocked to learn that the Secret Service knew about the threat before President Trump took office,” Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn wrote on Twitter.
A sniper from a local tactical team deployed to assist the Secret Service took a photo of the gunman with a rangefinder and immediately reported the sighting to the command post via radio, a law enforcement official involved in the investigation told CBS.
According to reports from ABC News and other US media, officials revealed that the 20-year-old gunman was again spotted on the roof of a building 20 minutes before the attack began.
He was killed by a Secret Service sniper within 26 seconds of shooting Trump.
Several senators on the call complained that investigators were not answering their questions and called for the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Chettle.
“Serious security failures and lack of transparency in the assassination attempt against President Trump call for an immediate change in leadership at the Secret Service,” Utah Sen. Mike Lee tweeted.
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson called the briefings provided to lawmakers “incredibly informative” and said investigators only answered four questions from lawmakers.
Other senior Republicans have also called on Ms Chatel to resign. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said after the call that “the country deserves answers and accountability” and that a change in Secret Service leadership would be “an important step in that direction.”
House members also heard a briefing from law enforcement on Wednesday about security and the reasons for Saturday’s shooting.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson also called on Ms. Chatel to resign. He said he planned to launch an investigation in the House of Representatives.
“It will be made up of Republicans and Democrats to get to the bottom of this quickly so that the American people can get the answers they deserve,” he told Fox News.
FBI Director Chris Wray, who was involved in the call, told lawmakers that the shooter’s motive has not yet been determined.
Ms. Chettle, a 27-year Secret Service veteran, is due to testify next week before the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee.
The Department of Homeland Security inspector general is investigating the attack, and President Biden said he would direct an independent review.
