This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A new report at the Gateway Pundit charges that the security for President Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania last weekend, in which a sniper tried to kill him, was a "setup," since most of the security officers there were replacements and not even Secret Service members.

The report noted Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has written to Alejandro Mayorkas, Joe Biden's homeland security secretary, demanding answers about the situation.

Hawley confirmed whistleblowers had notified him "that a majority of the security officials working the rally last weekend were not even Secret Service personnel but were with the Homeland Security Investigations team…"

Other reports revealed that the Secret Service was shorthanded that weekend because of commitments to provide security to Joe Biden and Jill Biden, who were at separate events.

The senator explained to Mayorkas, "I write to raise concerns brought to me by whistleblowers about your department's stunning failure to protect former President Trump on July 13, 2024. As Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), you are ultimately responsible for your agency and its components, including the U.S. Secret Service."

He said, "Whistleblowers who have direct knowledge of the event have approached my office. According to the allegations, the July 13 rally was considered to be a 'loose' security event. For example, detection canines were not used to monitor entry and detect threats in the usual manner. Individuals without proper designations were able to gain access to backstage areas. Department personnel did not appropriately police the security buffer around the podium and were also not stationed at regular intervals around the event's security perimeter."

He further charged insiders confirmed the agents there were not Secret Service but from Home Security.

"This is especially concerning given that HIS agents were unfamiliar with standard protocols typically used at these types of events…"

Hawley wants to know how did DHS determine its staffing for the rally, what percentage of the agents were Secret Service, or not, were those agents properly trained and were there gaps in the security perimeter.

The gunman took a ladder, gun and ammunition, climbed atop a building only about 100 yards away from the podium with a line of sight to Trump, and fired, hitting Trump's ear but missing his head by a fraction of an inch.

The letter also was sent to Secret Service chief Kimberly Cheatle, who has refused multiple calls for her to resign because of the security failures that day.

The Gateway Pundit commented, "It was a setup!"