America First Legal group sues Secret Service and DHS over first assassination attempt on Trump

A conservative legal watchdog group took court action to compel the U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide information about the July 13 bombing of former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The organization America First Legal (AFL) filed a lawsuit accusing both agencies of withholding key documents related to the attack, which nearly ended in tragedy.

Demand for answers on presidential security

In a statement issued by AFL, Gene Hamilton, a senior adviser to the group, said that "the American people watched in horror as a lunatic attempted to assassinate the former president and current presidential candidate." Hamilton also added that "there are catastrophic flaws that need to be clarified," pointing to possible shortcomings in Trump's protection.

Investigation into security lapses

In its lawsuit, AFL is asking for access to documents related to staffing and Secret Service employment standards, as well as all communications between Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and other senior officials. AFL stresses that to date it has not received the requested documents, which has raised suspicions about a possible cover-up.

The Secret Service has argued that it will not process the requests in an expedited manner, claiming that there was "no threat to the life or safety of anyone" and that there is therefore no urgency to respond. However, the lack of transparency has generated criticism from both Republican and Democratic politicians.

Political pressure grows

Legislators on Capitol Hill have also expressed frustration at the lack of answers. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut recently declared that the DHS response has been "totally lacking," going so far as to accuse the agency of obstructing the investigative process.

For his part, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, of Wisconsin, criticized the Secret Service for failing to provide crucial reports, such as the trajectory report of the bullets fired during the incident. "We don't have any of the trajectory reports," Johnson said, adding that they have been unable to interview the sniper who killed Crooks, who was shot down after the attack.

New threats against Trump

The assassination attempt in Pennsylvania was not the only recent incident put Trump's life in danger. AFL referenced in its statement a second attack against Trump occurring recently at his golf course in Florida, underscoring that threats against the former president remain a reality.

"The American people and Congress need full transparency," the group emphasized in its statement, calling for assurances that the Secret Service and DHS are staffed and trained to protect Trump's safety from future threats.