Jason Smith: Assassination attempts cannot become the norm in America

(From Eighth District Congressman Jason Smith)

On September 15, an absolute tragedy was prevented when a vigilant Secret Service agent fired at an armed lunatic who was determined to assassinate former President Donald Trump. I thank God that President Trump is safe. And I’m incredibly grateful for that Secret Service agent as well as the local law enforcement officers who pursued the deranged individual and quickly brought him into custody. 

The fact that there have been two assassination attempts against a former president – in a span of just 65 days – should alarm every single American.

The assassination attempts are extremely troubling reminders that dangerous rhetoric has consequences. Last year, a House Democrat said that Trump is so "dangerous" to democracy that he "has to be eliminated." Just days before the first assassination attempt, President Joe Biden said it was "time to put Trump in the bullseye." You would hope that after the first attempt on Trump’s life, the Left would have toned down their rhetoric. They didn’t.

The week before the most recent assassination attempt, Vice President Kamala Harris called Trump the biggest threat to America since the Civil War. The day after the failed assassination attempt, Hillary Clinton said Trump posed a "danger to our country and the world.” Two days after the second assassination attempt, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it was appropriate to refer to Trump as a “threat” to democracy. In a post on the social media platform X back in April, the lunatic behind the second assassination attempt against Trump declared, “DEMOCRACY is on the ballot and we cannot lose.” It’s not a coincidence that he repeated the type of rhetoric we’ve seen from leaders on the Left.

There is no question that more must be done to keep Trump safe. On multiple occasions, requests by Trump’s team for additional screening measures and agents – including snipers – were denied by Secret Service due to staffing shortages, hiring limits, and more. Secret Service must have the resources and personnel to secure a broader perimeter – an issue that’s at the center of both assassination attempts.

In the days following the most recent assassination attempt, Biden stated that his administration must ensure “that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former president's continued safety.” Congress – and the American people – need to know what actions the administration is taking to keep the former president safe. Unfortunately, this administration has done an awful job of cooperating with Congress’s investigation into the first assassination attempt.

Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have grown increasingly frustrated with the administration for stonewalling our requests for information on the July assassination attempt on Trump and the potential failures of the Secret Service. We even saw a top Senate Democrat say that he has become "angry" that the administration has not been more forthcoming with providing information related to Congress’s investigations.

Assassination attempts cannot become the norm in America. It’s time for leaders on the Left to abandon and denounce dangerous rhetoric. In addition, the Biden-Harris administration must cooperate with Congress’s investigation and provide a detailed plan on the steps it’s taking to improve the safety and security of Trump. This is a very troubling time in American history. I hope you’ll join me in praying for President Trump and the future of our great nation.