GOP lawmakers with sniper, combat experience scope out Trump shooting site

Reps. Mills and Crane visited the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally site where Trump was shot

Republican representatives visit site of Trump rally shooting

Rep. Cory Mills, R-FL, and Rep. Eli Crane, R-AZ, visited the site where former President Trump was shot on July 13 at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

BUTLER, Pa. – Republican Rep. Cory Mills of Florida and Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona visited Butler, Pennsylvania, on Thursday and have raised several questions about the attempted assassination of former President Trump.

Mills, an Army combat veteran and tactical security specialist, and Navy SEAL sniper veteran Crane visited the site and climbed onto the rooftop where Thomas Matthew Crooks shot at Trump with a rifle, wounding the Republican nominee's right ear, killing firefighter Corey Comperatore and injuring two other bystanders at the July 13 rally. 

The pair of representatives came to the scene with conservative commentator Benjamin "Benny" Johnson to film an upcoming podcast episode on "The Benny Show."

"I want to thank Navy SEAL Sniper Eli Crane and Army combat veteran & tactical security specialist Cory Mills for bringing my team to Butler, Pennsylvania today," Johnson wrote in a post on X. "Both are incredible Members of Congress who will find the TRUTH about how a bullet hit Trump in the head."

TIMELINE: TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

Rep. Cory Mills and Eli Crane tour the site of Trump assassination attempt

Representatives Cory Mills and Eli Crane tour the Butler fairground in Butler, Pennsylvania, Thursday, July 25, 2024. The fairground was the site of the attempted assassination of former President, Donald Trump on July 13. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

Water tower on the site of the assassination attempt of Donald Trump

General view of the water tower by the Butler fairground in Butler, Pennsylvania, Thursday, July 25, 2024. The fairground was the site of the attempted assassination of former President, Donald Trump on July 13. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

Mills and Crane's tour came after a group of 11 bipartisan lawmakers visited the site on Monday.

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Crane, who has now visited the site twice, previously posted a video on X showing how easy it was to climb up onto the rooftop about 150 yards away from where Trump spoke and took a sniper's perch with a direct line of sight to the former president.

"Hi, guys. I'm up here on the building where the supposed sniper took the shot. It's not that steep at all," Crane said. "Had the Secret Service or anybody had sniper teams up there, this guy wouldn't have made it five feet up this roof."

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Water tower on the site of the assassination attempt of Donald Trump

A water tower provides a vantage point over the Butler fairground in Butler, Pennsylvania, Thursday, July 25, 2024. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

Following the assassination attempt on Trump, the director of the Secret Service at the time, Kimberly Cheatle, faced calls for her resignation.

Cheatle initially vehemently said that she would not step down, but she resigned one day following her opening remarks before Congress.

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. 

She is a native of Massachusetts and is based in Orlando, Florida.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on X: @s_rumpfwhitten.

Authored by Sarah Rumpf-Whitten via FoxNews July 26th 2024