The leader of the congressional committee investigating the attempted assassination of Donald Trump says the autopsy report on shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks is shocking.
Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Mike Kelly, the lead Republican in charge of the investigation, told DailyMail.com that the report and its gruesome details are “horrifying.” He did not, however, provide a timeline for the release of the autopsy.
Kelly, who represents Butler, Pennsylvania, where the shooting occurred, has led several fact-finding trips to the fairgrounds where Trump spoke to uncover more details about the tragedy that left one dead and several injured, including the former president.
On Tuesday, Kelly exclusively told DailyMail.com that the autopsy should not be viewed by those who “don’t have a strong stomach.”
Although he admitted he had not fully reviewed the coroner’s report, he told DailyMail.com the content was horrific.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was seen at the Trump campaign rally site before the shooting occurred
“The autopsy comes with a warning,” Kelly continued. “It’s pretty graphic.”
He also mentioned how “really important” it is to remember the Crooks family when considering the autopsy, noting how they “lost someone” that fateful day as well.
Kelly also revealed that the FBI told her Crooks exhibited strange behavior before the shooting.
That included “walking around the house talking to himself” and “waving his arms around,” Punchbowl News first reported.
“There were some indications that something was not right,” the president said.
Former first lady Melania Trump also has questions that remain unanswered in the shooting saga.
“The attempt on my husband’s life was a horrific and distressing experience,” Melania said in a video released Tuesday.
“Now the silence surrounding the incident is very heavy. I can’t help but wonder why law enforcement didn’t arrest the shooter before the speech. There is definitely more to this story and we need to find out the truth,” he added.
The video was to promote her upcoming memoir, but scathing comments about her husband’s near-death experience raised questions about whether she is satisfied with the investigation and response to the tragedy.
And as the slow drip of information related to the shooting continues, a new report indicates that a top Secret Service leader has been asked to resign.
Deputy Director of the Office of Protective Operations Michael Plati has been asked to step down by his bosses. Fox News It was first reported Tuesday morning.
U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) speaks to reporters alongside other members of the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump, following a tour of the shooting site at Butler Farm Show Grounds on August 26, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks seen dead on roof in chilling new video taken moments after assassination attempt
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump gestures as he is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa.
He said Plati will end his service at the agency in the coming days.
Sources told the outlet the move is related to the agency’s handling of Butler’s shooting of Trump on July 13.
Plati was reportedly asked to resign by top brass, including acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, who previously testified before Congress about the assassination attempt.
The agency also reportedly has another briefing scheduled for Congress in the coming days.
But a Secret Service spokesman told DailyMail.com that Plati is resigning of his own volition.
“No one asked Deputy Director Plati to resign or retire. It was a personal decision he made and we thank him for his 27 years of dedicated service to the federal government,” they said in a statement.
Michael J. Plati is a member of the Senior Executive Service with more than 26 years of experience in federal law enforcement and national security and serves as the 24th Deputy Director of the Office of Protective Operations, where he leads the global protective mission of the Agency and its 3,000 employees.
Members of the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump tour the site of the shooting at Butler Farm Show Grounds
The spokesman also addressed whether Plati would be summoned to testify before Congress.
“The United States Secret Service respects the oversight role,” they said.
‘We have made and will continue to make staff available for transcribed interviews and have to date provided over 2,400 pages of responsive documentation to Congress.’
“These efforts will continue because our desire to learn from this failure and ensure that it does not happen again is unwavering,” the statement concluded.
The new revelations come as Congress continues to investigate the shooting in its own probe and as whistleblowers denounce how the agency operates.
In August, a whistleblower told Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., that the top Secret Service agent in charge of Donald Trump’s deadly rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was “inexperienced” and “failed to implement proper security protocols.”
US Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by Secret Service agents as he is led off the stage at a campaign event in Butler.
A Secret Service agent defends Trump after the former president was shot on stage in Butler
Former US President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is seen with a bandage on his ear after being wounded in an assassination attempt.
The shocking testimony came from a whistleblower with direct knowledge of the event, Hawley said.
Concerned about this lead agent, who was “still conducting protective visits” in early August, Hawley demanded in a letter to Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe that the “ineffective” lead agent on the site be immediately suspended and investigated.
“Your refusal to hold this individual accountable is becoming increasingly inexplicable,” Hawley wrote in the letter to the Secret Service chief.