House GOP chair subpoenas Trump rally security records

House Republicans are escalating their investigation into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, subpoenaing Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for information related to security at the rally.

House Homeland Security Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.) on Friday demanded various records, including security plans for the rally site, Secret Service protocol on the day of the rally and documents and communications about coordination for screening rally attendees. Green also wants any records related to increasing Trump’s security detail since Nov. 15, 2022.

Under the terms of the subpoena, the department would have until noon on July 26 to hand over the materials.

“On July 14, 2024, the Committee requested specific documents and information relating to the attempted assassination of President Trump. Due to the extraordinary and urgent circumstances under investigation, and with less than four months before the election, the Committee seeks swift and thorough compliance with its requests for documents and information,” Green wrote in a letter on Friday to Mayorkas.

He added that his panel needs the subpoenaed information “to effectively carry out oversight of the Department’s handling of security for presidential candidates and other high-profile protectees, as well as to fully evaluate potential legislation to reform the Department’s handling of this responsibility.”

Green’s committee is one of several investigating Saturday’s shooting. Green invited Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to testify before his panel on Tuesday.

The FBI declined that invitation earlier this week. Green noted in his letter to Mayorkas that DHS had also declined to have the secretary appear on Tuesday and that the committee is still waiting for a response about Cheatle’s appearance. Green added in his letter that his committee has been trying to set up a phone call for him with Mayorkas but has so far been unable to do so.

“This lack of cooperation is unacceptable and must come to an end,” he added.

Cheatle will testify before the House Oversight Committee on Monday and Wray is expected to testify before the House Judiciary Committee next week. The latter’s appearance was already on the books before Saturday’s shooting, but Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) warned Wray in a letter this week to expect many questions about the assassination attempt.

In addition to Wray, Mayorkas and Cheatle, Green has also said he wants to hear from state and local law enforcement. He did not announce a date for that hearing but said it would be in the coming days.