The House task force on the attempted assassinations of former President Donald J. Trump devolved into division on Thursday, after Republicans invited two members of Congress who have promoted conspiracy theories about the shooting to testify as witnesses during a hearing.
Democrats on the task force refused to attend an afternoon session of the panel during which Representatives Eli Crane of Arizona and Cory Mills of Florida, both Republicans and former military snipers, testified.
The two men have been conducting their own unauthorized investigation after they were not picked for seats on the official task force investigating the July 13 shooting at a Trump rally in Butler, Pa. They have promoted conspiracy theories that the shooting was an inside job or that it was carried out by more than one person instead of a lone gunman, Thomas Crooks, 20.
On Thursday, they encouraged the task force to explore the theory that there was a second gunman working with Mr. Crooks.
“I challenge you to continue to go forward and to not be feared away from the idea of being labeled a conspiracist by looking into every possible outcome,” Mr. Mills told the Republicans who remained in the room.
Representative Laurel Lee, Republican of Florida and a task force member, assured the men that the panel would investigate “all of the relevant theories.”
Outside the hearing room, Representative Jason Crow of Colorado, the top Democrat on the task force, said Republicans surprised Democrats by inviting Mr. Crane and Mr. Mills to testify.
“We did not receive notice until late yesterday,” Mr. Crow said, adding that Democrats did not feel comfortable without having more time to discuss what the men planned to say.
Representative Madeleine Dean, Democrat of Pennsylvania, said she was aware of the theories Mr. Mills and Mr. Crane have been promoting. Even so, she said she believed Representative Mike Kelly, Republican of Pennsylvania and the committee’s chairman, would find a way to bring the spirit of bipartisanship back to the panel.
“I don’t want to be any part of spreading conspiracies,” Ms. Dean said. “I’m always somebody who wants to collect the facts first, not jump in with my own conclusion and try to make the ending meet my conclusion. So that’s why I think it’ll be best if they can say what they want, and I hope we do return to the bipartisan spirit and consensus spirit that brought us to this.”
The rift came during the first public hearing of the task force, which was approved by a unanimous vote of Congress and has prided itself on operating in a bipartisan manner until Thursday.
But Speaker Mike Johnson has come under withering criticism from the right wing of his party for declining to name Mr. Crane or Mr. Mills to the panel. They have been conducting their own investigation in which Mr. Mills suggested that “criminal gross negligence” and “criminal intent” might be at play.
Outside the hearing room, Mr. Kelly said he invited the men to testify based on their expertise as snipers. He said they were there to provide testimony about the law enforcement failures to secure the perimeter at the event in Butler that day.
“If you want to participate, you can participate,” Mr. Kelly said of the Democrats walking out. “If you decide not to, you can make that decision too.”
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