Saved by the hand of God

On July 13, the nation watched with horror when a crazed shooter attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump. The fact that he survived this attack can only be described as a miracle. While I’m incredibly grateful the former president is safe, it’s tragic that a murderous nut job took the life of an innocent father and seriously injured two others. My prayers are with the family of Corey Comperatore, who died heroically protecting his wife and daughter, and I wish a quick recovery to the two innocent victims.

I hope the assassination attempt will serve as a wake-up call and make people realize the dangers of violent rhetoric, which has gotten worse and worse over the last several years. A week before the assassination attempt, President Joe Biden told a group of Democrat donors that it is “time to put Trump in a bullseye.” A former Missouri Democrat senator said that Trump is more dangerous than Hitler and Mussolini. These are just a few of the many examples of the unacceptable rhetoric we’ve seen about Trump.

These days, too many people forget that an elected official is still human. Trump is far more than just a politician. He’s a loving father and a husband. In a letter Melania Trump released the day after the shooting, she said, “For those of you who cry in support, I thank you. I commend those of you who have reached out beyond the political divide – thank you for remembering that every single politician is a man or a woman with a loving family.”

We cannot let America become a nation where fear and violence determine the outcome of what happens at the ballot box or in Congress, state legislatures, or city halls. While there is no question this is a pivotal time in American history, this upcoming election will not decide whether our nation will turn into a dictatorship as some on the Left – and top Democrat officials – have claimed.

Congress must do everything it can to get to the bottom of how on earth the assassination attempt could have happened. It's absolutely unacceptable that the shooter was able to climb on top of a roof so close to the president. You don’t have to be a security expert to know that the roof should have been secured. There must be accountability. That’s why I’m demanding Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resign – or be fired – immediately. As the investigations move forward, I hope the administration will be cooperative – something we haven’t seen throughout the numerous fact-finding missions we’ve conducted over the last three and a half years.

What Congress should not do, however, is ridiculous things like pass legislation introduced earlier this year by a Democrat congressman that would strip away Trump’s Secret Service protection. While that bill won’t be going anywhere, it’s safe to assume that Trump would no longer be with us today if he hadn’t had a Secret Service detail. The assassination attempt should make it clear that candidates’ security must be taken seriously.

The photo of the former president getting back up on his feet and raising a fist just moments after he was grazed by a bullet is an image I – and every American – will never forget. I will continue praying for him and for the future of our great nation. And you can rest assured that I will do everything in my power to get Americans the answers they deserve about one of the worst security failures in the history of America.

Jason Smith (R-MO) represents the eighth congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.