(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., released a preliminary report on Sunday about the assassination attempt on presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, revealing more bizarre details about last Saturday’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Johnson, who previewed his report Sunday morning on Fox News, stressed that his investigation is just beginning. He said the purpose of his early report is to increase transparency on the shooting, as well as to encourage whistleblowers to come forward with more information.
HOLY SMOKES! Trump Assassination Attempt — It’s all about to Blow UP!!
Senator Ron Johnson: A SECOND SHOOTER — And a Mystery ATF Agent that’s Now Gone Dark!
• July 13, Secret Service did not attend the 9am Security meeting with Local Law Enforcement
—— Law Enforcement… pic.twitter.com/yJ2hK75Fal— MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) July 21, 2024
Johnson’s report revealed several new pieces of information, including that Secret Service was absent from a security meeting conducted in the early hours of July 13. The report also revealed that Secret Service initially wasn’t going to send any snipers to the Trump rally.
“Local law enforcement informed Senator Johnson’s office that days before the rally, they learned from Butler County law enforcement that Secret Service was not going to send their own snipers to the rally and that local law enforcement would need to go ‘sniper heavy’ in order to ensure proper coverage,” Johnson said.
“Local law enforcement learned at least a day before the rally that Secret Service changed course and decided to send two sniper teams. If Secret Service had originally not intended to send snipers to the rally, it is unclear why and when Secret Service changed their plan.”
Another yet-to-be explained fact from the report pertains to the aftermath of the shooting: According to Johnson, an unidentified individual wearing a suit—whom local law enforcement assumed to be a Secret Service agent—requested photos of the alleged shooter’s dead body be sent to a phone number with a 215 (Philadelphia) area code.
The recipient of those photos was apparently an ATF agent, who was supposedly going to conduct a facial-recognition search on the alleged shooter, Thomas Crooks. Johnson’s report said his staff tried talking to that ATF agent, but they were stonewalled.
“It is unclear when Secret Service arrived on the roof following the shooting, how Secret Service (and others) accessed the roof of the building, why ATF would be the agency responsible for conducting facial recognition in an attempt to identify Crooks, and whether ATF ultimately did conduct any facial recognition on the photos provided to their agent,” Johnson said in his report.
Johnson said federal law enforcement hasn’t provided any records about the Trump assassination attempt. Officials aren’t even promising to maintain their records for Congress, he said.
“To date, the Department of Justice (DOJ), DHS, and FBI have failed to provide any of the requested information and have not even confirmed that they will preserve the relevant records,” he said.
“The lack of transparency from federal entities regarding the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt—which left former President Trump wounded, one rally goer dead, and two other spectators critically injured—is unacceptable.”
Outgoing, disgraced Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle is still expected to testify about the event Monday before the House Oversight Committee, though it’s not clear whether she’ll appear given her recent resignation announcement.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
