- The head of the Secret Service assumes “full responsibility for any security breaches.”
- “The assassination attempt on Trump was the biggest operational failure”
- The Secret Service denied resources to protect former US President Trump.
WASHINGTON: US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle admitted to Congress on Monday that she and her agency failed when a would-be assassin wounded Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a July 13 campaign rally in Pennsylvania this week.
“We have failed. As director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security failures,” Cheatle, who is facing impeachment calls from Republicans, said in testimony before the House Oversight Committee.
“The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on July 13 is the most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades,” Cheatle said.
Responding to Republican claims that the Secret Service denied resources to protect Trump, he said the former president's security had been stepped up before the shooting.
“The level of security provided to the former president was raised well in advance of the campaign and has been steadily increasing as threats evolve,” Cheatle said. “Our mission is not political. It is literally a matter of life and death.”
He added that the Secret Service provided the security requested by the Trump campaign for the rally.
“What I can tell you is that for the July 13 event, the details that were requested, the assets that were requested for that day, were provided,” Cheatle said.
He declined to answer specific questions about the day's security plan from Republicans and Democrats, saying the matter was being investigated internally.
Monday’s hearing marked the first round of congressional oversight into the assassination attempt. On Wednesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray is scheduled to appear before the House Judiciary Committee. And House Speaker Mike Johnson is also scheduled to introduce a bipartisan task force that will serve as a liaison for the House investigations.
Cheatle has resisted calls to resign from top Republicans, including Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
House Oversight Committee Republican James Comer echoed those calls at the hearing.
“I firmly believe, Director Cheatle, that you should resign,” the Kentucky Republican told her. “The Secret Service has thousands of employees and a significant budget, but now you have become the face of incompetence.”
Democratic Representative Gerry Connolly said: “Unacceptable incidents like this highlight the fact that we are an increasingly polarized nation experiencing heightened political tensions.”
The shooting at an outdoor campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, wounded Trump in the ear, killed one rally-goer and injured another. The suspected shooter, Thomas Crooks, a 20-year-old nursing home worker, was killed by police. It's unclear what his motive was.
The incident angered lawmakers, who say the suspect was able to approach Trump on the roof of a nearby building because of security lapses at Cheatle's agency, which is charged with protecting presidents and former presidents.
The House Judiciary Committee said last week it has evidence that the Secret Service was inadequately resourced for Trump’s rally because of staffing shortages created by a rival campaign event in Pittsburgh with Jill Biden and a NATO summit held days earlier in Washington.
Cheatle told lawmakers that the first lady's agency protects 36 people daily, as well as world leaders visiting the United States, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will address a joint session of Congress this week.
President Joe Biden on Sunday ended his faltering reelection bid by endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him as his nominee. She pledged to remain in office until the end of her term on Jan. 20, 2025.
