Sen. Cruz Probes National Park Service Over Pro-Hamas Protest

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is investigating the National Park Service's (NPS) handling of a pro-Hamas protest in Washington, D.C., that saw demonstrators set fire to an American flag, deface monuments, and spray paint graffiti.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is launching a probe into the National Park Service's (NPS) handling of a pro-Hamas protest in Washington, D.C., on July 24.

In a letter to NPS Director Charles Sams obtained by Fox News Digital, Cruz expressed concern that the agency failed to adequately prepare for the protest, despite advance notice and a large permit issued to the left-wing anti-Israel group ANSWER Coalition.

Sen. Cruz Probes National Park Service Over Pro-Hamas Protest

"This should have never been allowed to happen," Cruz wrote. "The National Park Service (NPS) had advance notice of the large anti-Israel protests, timed to coincide with [Israeli] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress, and ample time to prepare."

Cruz noted that NPS deployed only 29 officers to manage the protest, leaving them vastly outnumbered by the crowd. In contrast, Amtrak Police, which is responsible for security at Union Station, significantly increased their presence and successfully managed the area.

Sen. Cruz Probes National Park Service Over Pro-Hamas Protest

"The insufficient resources deployed by NPS, despite advance notice of the massive protest and the propensity of pro-Hamas demonstrations to turn violent, was negligent," Cruz wrote. "Even with every USPP officer in the D.C. area deployed, the many other demands on that force left far too few USPP officers available for a major protest that could turn violent, and the Park Police union is not aware of any effort to get additional officers."

The protest, which took place near the U.S. Capitol, saw demonstrators engage in acts of vandalism, including setting fire to an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and spray painting monuments. They also chanted "Allahu Akbar" and replaced American flags with Palestinian flags.

Sen. Cruz Probes National Park Service Over Pro-Hamas Protest

Cruz's letter asks for detailed answers from NPS regarding its preparation for the protest, coordination efforts, and future plans to prevent similar events. He also seeks information on the intelligence NPS had on the protest, including details about ANSWER Coalition's activities.

"The NPS failed to coordinate with other agencies, underestimated the scale of the protest, and failed to request additional support," Cruz wrote. "The result was a dangerous and chaotic situation that could have been avoided."

Sen. Cruz Probes National Park Service Over Pro-Hamas Protest

The NPS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.