U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle admitted before Congress on Monday that her agency failed when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was wounded in an assassination attempt. Despite bipartisan calls for her resignation, Cheatle stood firm, stating, "I think that I am the best person to lead the Secret Service at this time." This came as Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike urged Cheatle to step down.
Addressing the House of Representatives Oversight Committee, Cheatle remarked, "We failed. The assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on July 13th is the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades", as quoted by news agency Reuters.
Representative James Comer, a Republican, asserted, "It is my firm belief, Director Cheatle, that you should resign. The Secret Service has thousands of employees and a significant budget. But it has now become the face of incompetence", Reuters reported. Similarly, Democratic Representative Ro Khanna added, "If you have an assassination attempt on a president, former president or a candidate, you need to resign."
Level Of Security Provided For Donald Trump Steadily Increasing As Threats Evolve: U.S. Secret Service Director
In response to Republican allegations that the Secret Service denied resources to protect Trump, Cheatle clarified that security for the former president had been increased well before the shooting. "The level of security provided for the former president increased well before the campaign and has been steadily increasing as threats evolve," she said. She also mentioned that the US Secret Service provided the security requested by the Trump campaign for the rally, a Reuters report stated.
Cheatle refrained from answering specific questions regarding the day's security plan, citing an ongoing internal investigation, which left many lawmakers visibly frustrated, as per the report.
Monday's hearing marked the first round of congressional oversight of the attempted assassination, with FBI Director Christopher Wray scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. Additionally, US House Speaker Mike Johnson is set to unveil a bipartisan task force to centralise House investigations.
The attack occurred at an outdoor campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was wounded in the ear. The incident also resulted in the death of one rally attendee and injuries to another. The suspected shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, was killed by law enforcement. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear.
Democratic Representative Gerry Connolly highlighted the nation's growing political polarisation and expressed frustration when Cheatle declined to attribute the complexities of her job to the easy availability of guns. "And you wonder why we might have a lack of confidence in your continued ability to direct this agency," Connolly remarked, as quoted by Reuters.
The House Judiciary Committee disclosed last week that the Secret Service faced staffing shortages during Trump's rally due to a concurrent campaign event in Pittsburgh featuring Jill Biden and a NATO summit held days earlier in Washington. Cheatle informed lawmakers that the agency protects 36 individuals daily, including visiting world leaders.
The attack on Trump marks the most serious assassination attempt on a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.