Secret Service Director Faces Bipartisan Criticism Over Security Failures in Trump Assassination Attempt
- Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle faced intense scrutiny over security lapses in the Trump assassination attempt.
- She repeatedly refused to answer basic questions about her agency's actions and sidestepped major inquiries by the House Oversight Committee.
- Calls for her resignation emerged from both parties, highlighting the severity of the situation.
During a heated House Oversight Committee hearing, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle was confronted by lawmakers from both parties regarding the agency's significant security lapses that led to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on July 13. Cheatle acknowledged the incident as the "most significant operational failure" in decades but struggled to provide satisfactory answers to basic questions about the agency's preparedness and response during the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Lawmakers expressed frustration over Cheatle's evasive responses, particularly concerning the number of agents present and the identification of the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, as a threat. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and others called for her resignation, emphasizing that such a serious security breach warranted accountability. Cheatle admitted that the Secret Service had been alerted multiple times about a suspicious individual before the shooting but maintained that the agency had not denied any security requests from Trump's campaign. Despite the mounting pressure, Cheatle insisted she was the right person to lead the agency and stated that changes were being implemented in response to the incident. However, her refusal to confirm whether any personnel would be held accountable for the failures left many lawmakers unconvinced of her leadership. The hearing underscored the urgent need for transparency and reform within the Secret Service to prevent future threats against high-profile individuals.