Secret Service director admits to House committee that they failed to protect Trump.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is set to testify before the House Oversight Committee on the circumstances surrounding the attempted assassination of former President Trump. The hearing comes amid intense criticism of her leadership and calls for her resignation.
The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Cheatle last week as part of an ongoing investigation into the shooting that took place in Butler, Pennsylvania. The incident left Trump injured in the ear, with one attendee killed and two others injured.
In a statement, Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the Secret Service, confirmed Cheatle’s attendance at the hearing on Friday. Excerpts from Cheatle’s expected testimony have been reported by ABC News.
Cheatle is expected to address the committee by taking full responsibility for any security lapses, stating, “The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders. On July 13th, we failed. As the Director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse. As an agency, we are fully cooperating with the FBI’s investigation, the oversight you have initiated here, and conducting our own internal mission assurance review at my direction. Likewise, we will cooperate with the pending external review and the DHS Office of the Inspector General.”
Following the shooting, both Republicans and some Democrats questioned the agency’s performance in allowing a gunman to get close to the former president and fire multiple shots. Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., accused the Secret Service of a lack of transparency and called for Cheatle’s resignation.
In response, Comer stated, “Americans demand answers from Director Kimberly Cheatle about the Secret Service’s historic security failures that led to the attempted assassination of President Trump, murder of an innocent victim, and harm to others in the crowd. We look forward to Director Cheatle’s testimony to deliver the transparency and accountability that Americans deserve.”
In addition to the House Oversight Committee hearing, the House Homeland Security Committee has also called for a hearing and subpoenaed documents from DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The Senate is also conducting an investigation led by both Homeland Security Committee Chairman Gary Peters, D-Mich., and ranking member Rand Paul, R-Ky.
During a confrontation at the Republican National Convention, Cheatle was urged by multiple Republican senators to provide answers regarding the assassination attempt on President Trump. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating that answers are owed to President Trump and the American people.
Cheatle has acknowledged the shooting as “unacceptable” and has expressed the urgency of preventing such incidents from happening again. She is expected to reassure the committee of her commitment to ensuring the safety of national leaders, pledging to move “heaven and earth” to prevent a repeat of the events of July 13.
Despite facing intense criticism and calls for resignation, Cheatle has stated that she does not intend to step down. The Secret Service emphasizes the importance of continuity of operations during critical incidents and Cheatle’s commitment to transparency and improving the agency through internal and external reviews.
