U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle – Grilled at Congress Hearing

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle acknowledged Monday, July 22, that the agency failed in its mission to prevent the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, during a hearing before Congress.  “We failed,” Cheatle said. “As director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security failures,” she told a House committee amid criticism of possible mistakes and calls for her resignation. “This tragedy was preventable” and “in my view, Director Cheatle should resign,” said Republican Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer in opening the hearing.  The parliamentarian recalled that the Secret Service has the mission of protecting the leaders of the United States and of invited countries as well as safeguarding the American elections through the protection of candidates and nominees.  “The Secret Service has a flawless mission, but it failed on July 13 and in the days leading up to the rally,” added Comer, who said the service “has now become the face of incompetence.”

Republican Representative Nancy Mace also criticized Cheatle who asked the director a “series of yes or no questions.” Mace asked about how Cheatle’s opening statement to the committee was leaked to the media before the hearing began. Cheatle said she wasn’t aware of how it happened, prompting Mace to say, “That is bullshit.”  Mace bluntly told the agency chief, after trying to buttonhole her on a series of yes-or-no questions. “You’re full of shit today,” “Would you like to use my five minutes to draft your resignation letter? Yes, or no?” Mace had said earlier in her questioning.

Cheatle said the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump, who was slightly wounded in the ear, was “the most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades.”  Gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, shot Trump with an AR-style rifle minutes after the former Republican president and current presidential candidate began a speech at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.  Crooks was killed by a Secret Service sniper 26 seconds after firing eight shots.  The investigation determined that Crooks, who lived in a town 50 miles from Butler, acted alone and could not identify any strong ideological or political motivation.  Firefighter Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed and two Trump supporters were seriously injured.