After two attempts on former President Donald Trump‘s life in a two-month span, the latest thwarted on Sunday, members of a congressional task force say that the Secret Service is lacking in funds and personnel.
“The Secret Service told us very clearly [last Thursday] that they are redlined – they are working overtime, double overtime,” Rep. Mike Kelly, head of the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald Trump, told “America’s Newsroom.”
“These folks are burned out.
“We keep hearing they don’t have enough men, they don’t have enough money,” the Pennsylvania Republican continued. “They claim they don’t have enough personnel that they can put in place.”
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The Trump International Golf Club is shown on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
The understaffing comes as, according to Rep. Jason Crow, threats against members of Congress have quadrupled.
Previously, Rep. Mike Waltz told Fox News Digital that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has denied repeated requests for stronger Secret Service protection from the Trump camp.
Crow and Kelly said that the assassination attempts may have been brought on by the “fever pitch” of political discourse in America.
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Former President Donald Trump assassination attempt suspect Ryan Routh was seen being taken into custody on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024 in bodycam footage released Monday. (Martin County Sheriff’s Office )
“Political violence has no place in our country and Republicans and Democrats must come together and say ‘this is unacceptable, this should never happen,’” said Crow, a Colorado Democrat. “You don’t need to be on one side of a party or another to condemn this. We settle our issues with debate and discourse in America, and we have to focus on that. Every leader needs to be clear about it.”
In a statement, the task force wrote that it is “monitoring” this second assassination attempt and has requested a briefing with the U.S. Secret Service about what happened and how security responded.
“We are thankful that the former President was not harmed, but remain deeply concerned about political violence and condemn it in all of its forms,” the release read. “The Task Force will share updates as we learn more.”
The second assassination attempt was allegedly planned at the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach by Ryan Wesley Routh, who left behind a rifle equipped with a scope after taking aim about 300 to 500 yards away from the former president.
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Police officers stand outside the Paul G Rogers Federal Building U.S. Courthouse, ahead of a court appearance for Ryan W. Routh, the reported suspect in an apparent assassination attempt on Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 16, 2024. (REUTERS/Marco Bello)
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Authorities said Secret Service agents fired at him after seeing the muzzle of his rifle pointing through a chain-link fence one hole ahead of where Trump was playing.
Routh fled in an SUV after a member of the Secret Service fired on him but was soon arrested, according to authorities.
The suspected would-be assassin appeared at the Paul G. Rogers Federal Building U.S. Courthouse on Monday morning.