Homeland Security Secretary Addresses Donald Trump's Assassination Attempt

As the investigation into the attempted assassination of Donald Trump continues, many are beginning to question how the incident was handled.

On Saturday, a gunman, later identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, opened fire at a rally held in Pennsylvania. One bullet scraped the former President's right ear, leaving the side of his face bloodied.

Donald Trump was only on the stage for a few minutes before the shots were fired, but why did the gunman have a direct line of sight? Homeland Security Secretary is weighing in.

When speaking to George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America,"Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas admits, "A direct line of sight like that to the former president should not [have] occur[ed]."

"That is precisely why President Biden directed that an independent review of the incident occur. That will be done in close coordination with the FBI, which is conducting a separate criminal investigation, the importance of which cannot be overstated," Mayorkas told the "GMA" host.

"We have to learn everything about the assailant, who of course, the Secret Service so bravely and heroically neutralized, and we are going to really study the event independently and make recommendations to the Secret Service and to me so that we can assure the safety and security of our protectees, which is one of our most vital missions in the Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security and across the government," they added.

A spokesperson, whose identity is unknown, stated that the Secret Service did not conduct a sweep of the building where the gunman was positioned before the rally, per CNN.

The shooter, later identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, climbed a roof that was less than 150 meters (164 yards) away from where Trump was speaking. Now, the U.S. Secret Service is investigating how Crooks, who had an AR-style rifle, was able to get close enough to shoot and injure the former President.

The attempted assassination has raised concerns surrounding security moving forward.

"The incident in Pennsylvania has understandably led to questions about potential updates or changes to the security for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. The U.S. Secret Service, in conjunction with our Federal, state, and local law enforcement and public safety partners, designs operational security plans for National Special Security Events (NSSE) to be dynamic in order to respond to a kinetic security environment and the most up-to-date intelligence from our partners," Director Kimberly Cheatle said, per Fox.

"I am confident in the security plan our Secret Service RNC coordinator and our partners have put in place, which we have reviewed and strengthened in the wake of Saturday’s shooting. The security plans for National Special Security Events are designed to be flexible," Cheatle added.

"As the conventions progress, and in accordance with the direction of the President, the Secret Service will continuously adapt our operations as necessary in order to ensure the highest level of safety and security for convention attendees, volunteers, and the City of Milwaukee," she continued.

"In addition to the additional security enhancements we provided former President Trump's detail in June, we have also implemented changes to his security detail since Saturday to ensure his continued protection for the convention and the remainder of the campaign."

Following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, current President Joe Biden detailed his administration's plans while the investigation into the incident is ongoing.

“Mr Trump, as a former president and nominee of the Republican party, already received a heightened level of security and I’ve been consistent in my direction of the Secret Service to provide him with every resource, capability, and protective measure necessary to ensure his continued safety,” Biden said, per The Guardian.

“Second, I’ve directed the head of the Secret Service to review all security measures for … the Republican national convention, which is scheduled to start tomorrow," he added. “And third, I’ve directed an independent review of national security at yesterday’s rally to assess exactly what happened, and we’ll share the results of that independent review with the American people as well."

Law enforcement discovered an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle at the location of the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump during his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.

"What I would say is, is a tragic incident that occurred. We're not in a position to start second-guessing how or why or anything else at this point. Just know that it will be thoroughly investigated. If there is anyone to prosecute, that will be done and we'll move forward," Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police said, per WTAE.

The firearm retrieved from the scene was legally purchased by the suspect's father.