Staff Reports
The saga surrounding the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump is taking a bizarre turn as Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently announced the lineup for the independent investigation into this chilling event. Apparently, President Joe Biden, after a hasty decision, has deemed it necessary to form a panel that, by some stroke of irony, is packed with former Homeland Security officials who surely haven’t been in the hot seat since their tenures in previous administrations.
The panel is a veritable who’s who of past security leadership, featuring names like Janet Napolitano, who gained notoriety under Barack Obama’s reign. Alongside her are Frances Townsend, a former adviser under George W. Bush, Mark Filip, a former federal judge and deputy attorney general also from the Bush era, and David Mitchell, who has experience in Maryland and Delaware state police departments. It begs the question: Is this the best team for the job or simply a nostalgic trip down memory lane for a bygone era of security oversight?
Washington Examiner: Mayorkas taps former Obummer and Bush administration officials to investigate Trump assassination attempt https://t.co/R1g5L9fKkD
— Ian Hansen 🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@IanHansenFeed) July 22, 2024
The investigation is set to unfold over a swift 45 days, as if this timeline reflects a sense of urgency worthy of a major crime drama on television. With Mayorkas claiming a commitment to uncover the truth behind the July 13 incident, one wonders if his real mission is to kick the can down the road while his department takes all the coverage and flak for the recent security failures. He may pluck a few more members from the ‘former-bureaucrat’ lottery in the coming days, but the current lineup certainly smells like a team more invested in protecting their own reputations than ensuring that incidents like this don’t recur.
Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who finds herself in hot water following the tragic shooting at Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania. With one rally attendee dead and others injured, Cheatle’s insistence that the shooting is “unacceptable” does little to comfort those critical of her performance. She has apparently been bombarded with calls for her resignation, proving that it’s not just Trump’s critics who are keen on accountability, but also Republicans like House Speaker Mike Johnson, who intends to take matters into his own hands by forming a special task force.
Adding to the circus-like atmosphere is the revelation that the Secret Service previously denied Trump’s team requests for enhanced security measures. This revelation is more shocking than a plot twist in a low-budget thriller. The agency seems to be caught in a web of excuses, trying to justify why they didn’t provide the necessary support for the very person they were paid to protect. The leadership at the Secret Service may have to shed a few tears in front of Congress as accountability looms ever closer, although one can only hope they bring along some substantial evidence of progress.
As the investigation begins, one thing is clear: those who have dropped the ball on security are now in the spotlight and hoping to save face, while bureaucrats involved are likely doing a little reminiscing instead of making real changes. The American public has every right to demand a robust reassessment of how security measures are orchestrated, especially when it involves protecting a former president.
