House conservatives have taken matters into their own hands by launching their own investigation into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, despite a bipartisan task force already being in place. Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries had formed the bipartisan task force to identify failures leading to the shooting and prevent such incidents from happening again. However, some conservatives were dissatisfied with the composition of the panel and the pace of existing investigations, prompting them to initiate their own probe.

Five conservative lawmakers held a forum at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, where they expressed their determination to push forward with their independent investigation. They questioned the security decisions preceding the shooting and urged whistleblowers to come forward. Representative Cory Mills (R-Fla.) stated that this was just the first hearing, emphasizing that there are members on the conservative side who refuse to be silenced.

On the other hand, members of the bipartisan task force, including House Freedom Caucus representatives Mark Green and Clay Higgins, were in Butler, Pennsylvania, visiting the site of Trump's July 13 rally and meeting with local law enforcement. They briefed reporters afterward, highlighting their commitment to being in charge of the investigation going forward.

The GOP-only group, however, faces greater challenges as they lack subpoena power and must rely on whistleblowers and publicly available information. Despite this, representatives Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Cory Mills, and Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) are determined to conduct their own investigation.

Although the existence of multiple probes raises questions about coordination and efficiency, members of the bipartisan task force emphasized that they are the sole jurisdiction for the investigation, as per the legislation passed last month. They stated that the House of Representatives has empowered them to handle the inquiry and that they have the ability to subpoena records.

The bipartisan task force has until mid-December, according to the resolution establishing it, to release a final report with legislative recommendations. They have already been briefed by the FBI and the Secret Service. Representative Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) chairs the task force and emphasized its bipartisan nature, stating that they are searching for answers and reassuring the American people that cooperation can lead to the right solutions.

While the conservative lawmakers criticized the pace of the House investigation, arguing that subpoenas should have been issued immediately after the shooting occurred, the bipartisan task force stressed that getting to the truth is a slow and methodical process. They emphasized the importance of accuracy over speed, ensuring that the American people can have confidence in the findings.

As the two groups delve into their respective investigations, overlapping areas of interest include the lack of security at the rally site, the establishment of the security perimeter, and the decision to allow Trump to remain on stage after the shooter was spotted on a nearby roof. However, some conservatives have gone a step further, suggesting that the security failures could have been intentional rather than simply negligent.

The emergence of this separate conservative probe adds a new layer of complexity to the ongoing investigations into the attempted assassination of Trump. As both the bipartisan task force and the GOP-only group continue their respective inquiries, the focus remains on uncovering the truth and ensuring accountability for the security failures that occurred on July 13.