(Rightallegiance.com) – In a tense congressional hearing on Monday, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle admitted that her agency had failed to protect former President Donald Trump. This admission came amid bipartisan demands for her resignation following a gunman’s attack on a Trump campaign rally on July 13. The attack has been described as one of the Secret Service’s most significant operational failures in decades.
During the hearing, lawmakers from both parties expressed their frustration with Cheatle, who frequently evaded questions about the investigation. “The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders. On July 13th, we failed,” Cheatle confessed to the House Oversight and Accountability Committee. She pledged to “move heaven and earth” to determine what went wrong and to prevent future incidents.
Cheatle revealed that the Secret Service had been alerted to a suspicious individual multiple times before the shooting at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. She also admitted that the roof from which the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, opened fire had been identified as a potential vulnerability days prior to the event. Despite these warnings, the attack occurred, resulting in the death of one spectator and injuries to three others, including Trump, who sustained a minor wound.
During the hearing, Cheatle apologized to Trump in a phone call and insisted that she was the “right person” to lead the agency, even as she took full responsibility for the security lapses. When Republican Rep. Nancy Mace suggested that Cheatle begin drafting her resignation letter, Cheatle firmly declined, saying, “No, thank you.”
In an unusual display of unity, the committee’s Republican chairman, Rep. James Comer, and its top Democrat, Rep. Jamie Raskin, jointly called for Cheatle’s resignation in a letter. The White House has yet to comment on whether President Joe Biden retains confidence in Cheatle following her testimony.
The hearing was marked by sharp exchanges and exasperation from both parties. Cheatle’s repeated inability to answer questions about the investigation, more than a week after the shooting, drew ire from lawmakers. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez emphasized the need for answers, saying, “It has been 10 days since an assassination attempt on a former president of the United States. Regardless of party, there need to be answers.”
Cheatle disclosed that Crooks had been observed by local law enforcement using a rangefinder, a device typically used by hunters to measure distance to a target. Despite this, he was not deemed a threat until moments before he opened fire. Cheatle also confirmed that local law enforcement officers were inside the building from which Crooks fired, but there were no Secret Service agents on the roof, nor were drones used to monitor the area.
Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, bluntly criticized Cheatle, stating, “Director Cheatle, because Donald Trump is alive, and thank God he is, you look incompetent. If he were killed, you would look culpable.” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-California, echoed the calls for her resignation, noting that the Secret Service director during the assassination attempt on former President Ronald Reagan later stepped down.
Trump’s wound was minor, but the incident resulted in the death of a former Pennsylvania fire chief and injuries to two other attendees. Cheatle stated that the Secret Service aims to complete its internal investigation within 60 days. Additionally, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has appointed a bipartisan, independent panel to review the assassination attempt, while the department’s inspector general has initiated three separate investigations.
On Monday, a bipartisan delegation from the House Committee on Homeland Security toured the shooting site, becoming the first group outside law enforcement to inspect the roof where the shooter had positioned himself. Investigators are still searching for a motive behind Crooks’ actions, though no ideological affiliation has been identified. Crooks’ phone revealed photos of various political figures and searches for major depressive disorder, but no clear explanation for his actions.
The attack on Trump marks the most serious attempt to assassinate a president or presidential candidate since the 1981 shooting of Ronald Reagan. This incident adds to a history of security lapses that have plagued the Secret Service and drawn public scrutiny.
Cheatle assumed her role two years ago, overseeing the agency’s 7,800 special agents, uniformed officers, and staffers responsible for protecting presidents, vice presidents, their families, and other key figures. Her appointment by Biden was met with praise, highlighting her “exceptional leadership skills” and his “complete trust” in her. Cheatle succeeded James M. Murray amid ongoing investigations into missing text messages from the January 6 Capitol riot, which the Secret Service attributed to a technology transition.
As the investigation continues, Cheatle’s future remains uncertain, with mounting pressure from both sides of the political aisle demanding accountability and change within the Secret Service.