FBI Director Asked If There Are Other Targets Of The Criminal Investigation In Trump Shooting

2 months ago

At a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) questioned FBI Director Christopher Wray about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

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Transcript

00:00Excuse me. We'll now proceed under the five-minute rule. The gentleman from North Carolina is

00:04recognized for five minutes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Director Wray, I'm way down here.

00:08I appreciate the chairman giving me this because I've got to leave. But let me ask this question.

00:14Why doesn't the FBI disclose to the American people all of the investigative detail

00:19and evidence that you are gathering as it is gathered?

00:23Well, we have tried to be transparent with both Congress and the American people as we're going

00:31along in the investigation, frankly, unusually so for an ongoing investigation, given the sheer

00:37nature of it. We have provided a lot of information. I expect to continue to provide information. I

00:44expect to be able to provide some additional information here today in response to your

00:48questions and your colleagues. But part of the issue is that, like in any investigation, as we

00:55proceed, facts evolve. Our understanding of what somebody said turns out to have more context than

01:01we didn't have before. We have additional leads out there. So part of our goal is not just

01:08to respect the ongoing investigation process, but also to make sure that we don't prematurely

01:13provide information that then, two days later, turns out to be different than what we

01:18told people, because that's very much kind of a natural part of any investigation.

01:22So did Crooks fire eight shots?

01:26We have recovered eight cartridges on the roof.

01:32Why was Crooks allowed to get off eight shots?

01:36Well, that, I think, is something we're still digging into. Again, maybe this is a good place

01:41for me to make clear the different investigations that are going on, because certainly I understand.

01:49Given that I've only got three minutes left and I know other members, I'm really interested,

01:53because I appreciate your invitation. You said you're prepared to disclose things

01:57as questions are asked. So I don't want to waste time. I just want to get to the questions that

02:00might, and as many members as can, ask questions that you'll answer. I actually think I'd be glad

02:05for you to go on soliloquy, frankly, and tell us what you know. I think the American people

02:09want to know. Why was President Trump not kept off the stage?

02:15We don't know the answer to that, but I want to be clear, and this is important,

02:19because I think it goes to questions that I can and cannot answer. Our investigation,

02:23the FBI's mandate, is focused on the shooter and all things related to his attack. Now, obviously,

02:31I understand very much the intense interest and focus on the Secret Service's performance,

02:38actions, decision-making, etc. There are two separate after-action reviews, the DHS Inspector

02:46General and the outside independent panel that's been convened that are focused on that.

02:53Here's the problem. We're out 13 days, and you say we've been disclosing. You know,

02:58we had the Colonel from the Pennsylvania State Police in front of Homeland yesterday.

03:04He was quite candid. He disclosed to us that Butler emergency services unit personnel were

03:09posted into the windows on the second floor of the AGR building, that they left there to go

03:14pursue the person that they spotted, Crooks, that they texted a photo of Crooks to the

03:20PSP representative in the command center. That information was relayed to the United States

03:24Secret Service. They asked that it be texted to someone else. That was many minutes before

03:29Trump took the stand. What we don't know is why were they not keeping him off the stand?

03:35To the extent, you know, I know we always hear when there's a criminal investigation,

03:38you've got to wait for that to develop. Do you have any other target of your criminal

03:44investigation other than Crooks, who's dead? We are investigating the shooter,

03:50both to determine his motive and his preparations and activities before the shooting, but also to

03:56make sure whether or not there are any co-conspirators, accomplices. At this point,

04:00have you developed any evidence to so suggest that there are any accomplices or co-operators

04:05or assisters? Not at this time, but again, the investigation is ongoing. So here's the thing.

04:10While we wait, maybe for months, and I hate to say this, just I'm not trying to take a pot shot,

04:15but the country went for years with the understanding that the Hunter Biden laptop

04:20was Russian disinformation is offered by respected former Intel officials. And the whole time,

04:25the FBI had the laptop and then let that happen in public until finally offering testimony in a case.

04:33To the degree we wait to hear as a country and as a Congress, what has happened in this event,

04:39because the FBI is conducting an investigation, it provides quarter for the U.S. Secret Service,

04:46not perhaps to reckon with the problems that are obvious to everyone. So let's get a couple in

04:52while I've got 13 more seconds. One more question, perhaps. Senator Grassley says that the

04:58records of the day show that there was a counter unmanned aerial surveillance operator on site.

05:05Was there? And why did that person not prevent Crooks from being able to use a drone?

05:12So again, questions about the Secret Service's performance are better directed to those other

05:16reviews. What I can tell you when it comes to drones is that Crooks himself had a drone,

05:23and I'm prepared to answer questions here today about the shooter and his use of the drone,

05:27for example. My time's expired.

FBI Director Asked If There Are Other Targets Of The Criminal Investigation In Trump Shooting

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