Mary Jo Guinchard, the Republican challenger to Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff) in New Jersey’s 5th District, floated theories in a fundraising email last week that there were two shooters involved in the Trump assassination attempt and that the Secret Service intentionally allowed the attack to go forward.
Guinchard, a pro-Trump Republican who is unlikely to defeat Gottheimer in the Democratic-leaning district, is the latest GOP candidate to float conspiracies that there was more to the July shooting than meets the eye. Guinchard’s fundraising email focused on what questions she would ask of the Secret Service should she enter Congress and celebrated the resignation of former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.
One question she posed was whether there was a second shooter—even though the Secret Service and the FBI have repeatedly concluded there was only one shooter, the now-deceased Thomas Matthew Crooks. The “second shooter” theory spread quickly after the shooting, according to NBC News, and even caught the eye of GOP members of Congress.
Guinchard posed other questions, including why the shooter was not disabled sooner, why Trump was allowed on-stage during an active threat, whether there were enough counter-snipers on the detail, and more. She then wrote the lapses in security looked like the Secret Service “intentionally putting President Trump at risk.”
The New Jersey Globe called Guinchard to ask about the email, and Guinchard agreed to schedule an interview over email because of storm-related phone service issues. A spokesperson then replied that Guinchard was unavailable for an interview and instead provided a statement that said, “[Guinchard] outlines crucial questions for the Secret Service regarding their response that day.”
Guinchard asked for written questions in a follow-up call on Monday, and her campaign has not responded to further follow-up questions.
The candidate also promised to reform the Secret Service’s “apparent DEI mentality,” joining the GOP attacks against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, a centerpiece of national Republican politics in recent years.
The Secret Service has faced bipartisan scrutiny after the shooting at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania that killed one attendee. The House Oversight Committee pressed former Director Cheatle on the security lapses before the shooting from outside the security perimeter, and leaders of both parties pushed for resignation.