Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., on Thursday reflected on the recent assassination attempt of President Donald Trump, calling the outcome fortunate but highlighting ongoing concerns about preparedness and political rhetoric.
"There was some luck involved," Meuser said on Newsmax's "Bianca Across the Nation," noting that while "the Secret Service clearly responded extremely well" and "in the end, the process worked," there were still vulnerabilities.
"It certainly seems as if that perimeter should have been at a higher level, a wider perimeter, not a close call," he added, stressing that "that needs to be continued to be worked on."
Meuser praised Trump's response, saying the president was "very calm and cool and collected, showing great leadership," and pointed to Trump's push for a new ballroom at the White House.
"That's a far more safe place within the confines of the White House grounds, [it] makes a lot of sense," Meuser said, criticizing opposition as politically driven.
"The left is against it simply because President Trump has proposed it," he said.
Turning to homeland security funding, Meuser accused Democrats of failing to act responsibly.
"The left has proven themselves to be completely unserious," he said. "They're not really interested in protecting the homeland. They won't fund the Homeland department."
Meuser warned that the situation is "creating a higher level of risk for safety for all Americans" and called it "outrageous."
He expressed hope for legislative progress.
"Hopefully we put an end to it today we're going to get a version that we can vote on today," he said, emphasizing the need to "pay for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Customs and Border Patrol, which has been defunded."
Addressing political rhetoric, Meuser condemned what he described as escalating threats.
"They're engaging in dangerous speech, which means their speech is leading others to create potential violence," he said. "That is a lot worse than hate speech."
Meuser concluded that such rhetoric is "irresponsible" and "terrible leadership," warning it is "dangerous, certainly [to] the safety of the president of the United States."
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