Rand Paul releases final report on Butler shooting without Democratic support or Republican backing

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A bipartisan Senate investigation into the assassination attempt on President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, has fractured along party lines, with key senators no longer cooperating on the probe. The Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee initially worked together after the July 13, 2024, shooting that wounded Mr. Trump and killed a rallygoer, producing an interim report in September with full bipartisan support.

However, on the first anniversary of the attack, the committee’s new Republican chairman, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, released a final report without approval from Democratic members or fellow Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. The report detailed the Secret Service’s “cascade of preventable failures” and criticized disciplinary penalties as “far too weak.”

Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, the panel’s top Democrat, criticized Sen. Paul for not working in a bipartisan manner and argued the final report simply rehashed previous findings without presenting new supporting facts for its conclusions. Sen. Peters said Democrats refused to sign off because Sen. Paul “didn’t work in a bipartisan way” and they still have unanswered questions about the assassination attempt.

Sen. Paul defended his decision, stating the investigation “has gone on too long” and that reforms have largely been implemented. His report included newly subpoenaed records about disciplinary actions and transcripts of five additional Secret Service employee interviews, along with a summary of policy changes made since the interim report.

Sen. Ron Johnson, who chairs the permanent subcommittee on investigations, was caught off-guard by Sen. Paul’s report release, learning about it just three days beforehand. Sen. Johnson has issued his own FBI subpoena seeking forensic reports, security camera footage, witness interviews, and comprehensive information about gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, including data from his electronic devices, search history, and financial accounts.

Sen. Johnson expressed frustration with the Trump administration’s lack of assistance, citing Justice Department staffing issues and officials awaiting Senate confirmation. He characterized his subpoena as “friendly” with an Aug. 1 deadline, noting the FBI has been cooperative in communications about fulfilling the requests.

Sen. Peters supports Sen. Johnson’s investigative efforts, leaving open the possibility of Democratic cooperation with the subcommittee’s ongoing work. Sen. Johnson acknowledged that coordination among senators has been challenging, with “everybody’s kind of got their own agenda, their own priorities.” He noted that most information came from early investigative work before witnesses “clammed up,” leaving all parties awaiting additional information to complete their understanding of the assassination attempt.

Read more: Senate investigators split on continuing probe of Trump assassination attempt