Trump Task Force Still Has No Documents from DHS and Secret Service

It would appear that Secretary Mayorkas does not want to play nicely with the House Task Force that is investigating the second assassination attempt against Donald Trump.

This week, the task force announced that it still has not received any documentation from the Department of Homeland Security and Secret Service.

Being Bold

Mayorkas has been defiant ever since he was approved as Biden’s Department of Homeland Security boss.

He has trashed our immigration laws and regularly avoided answering questions when called to the Hill.

Recently, he took it a step further, as Mayorkas and FBI Director Wray decided to blow off the year-end hearings that are customarily attended by all department heads.

Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) was livid, stating, “Americans deserve transparent, public answers about the threats we face. Secretary Mayorkas and Director Wray’s refusal to speak publicly about their department’s work will only increase the concerns that many Americans have about our nation’s security at a challenging time, flout the Committee’s efforts to conduct responsible oversight, and will deal a serious blow to trust in our government.

“Their claims that they can only relay such information and respond to questions in a classified setting are entirely without merit.”

Better Things to Do

Needless to say, the media ran right to Wray and Mayorkas for statements after their unprecedented snub, but Mayorkas’ office was just as standoffish as it has always been.

DHS, on the Secretary’s absence, stated, “DHS and the FBI already have shared with the Committee and other Committees, and with the American public, extensive unclassified information about the current threat environment, including the recently published Homeland Threat Assessment. DHS takes seriously its obligation to respond to Congressional requests for testimony; in fact, Secretary Mayorkas has testified 30 times during his tenure.”

To that I say, “So what?” Part of his job is to come to the Hill when called for accountability, but he just decided he is above the law and above accountability. And all the while, Joe Biden sat on his hands and allowed this to happen.

Task Force Standoff

Taking all of that into consideration, it was not a real surprise to learn that DHS and the Secret Service are stonewalling the investigation into the assassination attempt against Trump.

The report from the committee, in part, stated, "The Task Force notes that as of the date of publication of this report, [the Department of Homeland Security], [U.S. Secret Service], FBI, and [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives] have not produced any documents responsive to the Task Force’s requests regarding the preparation for, events of, and response to the second assassination attempt that occurred on September 15.”

Some believe the Secret Service has lost its way since being put under DHS’s umbrella, and the task force recommends allowing the Secret Service to go back to its origins, citing these recent failures in protection.

Prior to being assigned to DHS in 2003, the Secret Service fell under the purview of the Treasury Department. To that point, the report stated, "A fresh look at whether USSS might benefit from the status of an independent agency, with more freedom to make budget requests and advocate for itself, would be a healthy discussion for former USSS leaders to have with Congress.”