US task froce probing Donald Trump assassination attempt set to meet next week

The House task force will meet next Thursday on September 27 to probe what went wrong on July 13, when a gunman tried and failed to shoot down the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, in Pennsylvania.

In Short

• Congressional task force to meet on September 27
• Task force has already visited shooting site and interviewed agents
• Members are yet to announce witnesses with a report due by December 13

A US Congressional task force looking into the first attempt on the life of former president Donald Trump in July has decided on a date to meet next week.

The House task force will meet next Thursday on September 27 to probe what went wrong on July 13, when a gunman tried and failed to shoot down the Republican presidential nominee addressing the crowd during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The bullet, however, grazed Trump's ear, injured two and killed another.

Next week, the bi-partisan task force, composed of Democratic and Republican lawmakers, will focus on failures related to the "Secret Service's Reliance on State and Local Law Enforcement,” Politico reported.

The panel sent a letter last month to the Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service demanding many documents related to the preparation done by security officials at the rally, details of site selection and any written security plan. Members of the task force have already visited the site of the shooting in Pennsylvania and have also been interviewing Secret Service agents who were present on the day of the assassination, according to Politico.

The committee is, however, yet to announce the list of witnesses who will be present during next week’s meeting. Members of the task force which was formed in the House of Representatives following a unanimous vote are ramping up the investigation as it looks to meet the December 13 deadline to issue a report on its findings. Legislative recommendations will be made based on the report.

While the task force has been investigating the first attempt, there has already been another attempt on the former president’s life at his golf course. The task force is expected to expand its purview to include the second attempt in its investigation, too.

The lawmakers in charge of the investigation also face the hurdle of the legislative break in October prior to the November 5 election which will further shorten their timeline. The former president, meanwhile, is in a tight race with Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidential seat.