WASHINGTON D.C. –– Today, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) issued the following statement on the one-year anniversary of the assassination attempt against Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania native and firefighter Corey Comperatore was tragically killed in the cowardly attack, and two other men, Jim Copenhaver and David Dutch, were injured:

“On July 13, 2024, a 20-year-old gunman’s bullet came just an inch away from changing the course of history. Today, we remember Corey Comperatore, a father of two and former fire chief, who was tragically killed while protecting his family. In the days following this cowardly attack, members of the Committee on Homeland Security had boots on the ground in Butler, and House Republicans established a bipartisan task force to conduct vigorous oversight of the security lapses that contributed to what happened. 

“There is no question that the Secret Service agents and law enforcement officers on the ground showed immense courage by jumping into action to protect President Trump and to neutralize the shooter before further loss of life––but we know that it never should have gotten to that point. The task force investigation conclusively showed that a pre-existing environment created by Secret Service leadership allowed for improper security on location in advance of and during President Trump’s visit, and there were numerous lapses in intelligence sharing and communications with law enforcement partners on the ground. 

“With President Trump now in office and major upcoming international events on U.S. soil, the Committee will continue its essential oversight work to ensure DHS is applying the lessons learned from the task force recommendations so that nothing like this ever happens again.”

Background:

Read the full final report from the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump here. Read 46 transcribed interviews with local, state, and federal agencies conducted during its five-month investigation here.

On July 22, 2024, Chairman Green led a bipartisan delegation of Committee members to the site of the July 13 campaign rally and the failed assassination attempt. Joined by Congressman Mike Kelly (R-PA), the members toured the grounds and examined the roof used by the shooter. The site visit and briefing from local officials, law enforcement, and witnesses provided Members with a closer look at the magnitude of the security failures and furthered the Committee’s oversight efforts. Chairman Green was then appointed to the bipartisan House task force responsible for investigating the attempted assassination of President Trump which released its final report in December 2024.

The following day, the Committee held a hearing to receive valuable testimony from Colonel Christopher Paris, commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, and Patrick Yoes, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, to examine the facts and circumstances surrounding the attempted assassination. 

In the hearing, members learned more about the numerous failures in communication and information sharing between the Secret Service and local law enforcement surrounding the rally, including Secret Services’ failure to provide them with an operations plan even 10 days after the attack. Members heard testimony that the Pennsylvania State Police was not responsible for securing the building or property at AGR International—the location where the shooter attempted to assassinate President Trump. Members also heard testimony that the Secret Service did not operate nor request any drones in the air for the rally to add another layer of safety and protection. 

On May 6, 2025, Chairman Green and Vice Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) announced the establishment of the “Task Force on Enhancing Security for Special Events in the United States,” which will conduct oversight of security preparations for major upcoming international events on U.S. soil.

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