Today’s hearing, titled “Oversight of the U.S. Secret Service and the Attempted Assassination of President Donald J. Trump,” was held by the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. During the hearing, members of the Republican and Democrat parties pressed U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle for clarification regarding the grave security flaws that resulted in the attempted assassination of President Trump, the murder of an innocent victim, and harm to other people in the crowd at the campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Chief Cheatle couldn’t or wouldn’t respond to fundamental inquiries from Board individuals, driving conservative and liberal individuals to call for Chief Cheatle’s prompt acquiescence. The people of the United States are looking for answers, and the House Oversight Committee and Speaker Mike Johnson’s Task Force will investigate this security flaw and look for ways to prevent it from happening again.
Key Learnings:
Kimberly Cheatle, director of the United States Secret Service, consistently failed to respond to straightforward questions from Democrats and Republicans regarding the shocking operational failures that led to the attempted assassination of President Trump.
Important Questions That Director Cheatle Didn’t Answer:
Was President Trump’s campaign denied additional security by the Secret Service? When and how many times, if so?
Why did the Secret Service not secure a rooftop with a clear view of President Trump’s podium close to the rally location?
At the rally site, were there agents from the Secret Service or another department?
Did the Secret Service gather any information about the gunman?
At the rally site, how were Secret Service resources used?
Was their advance preparation for the campaign rally carried out by the Secret Service?
Chairman James Comer and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin announced a joint letter urging Kimberly Cheatle, Director of the United States Secret Service, to resign in their closing remarks.
Together with Speaker Mike Johnson’s Task Force, the Oversight Committee, which has a strong track record of bipartisan oversight of the U.S. Secret Service, will investigate these errors and ensure that they never occur again.
Part Features:
The Secret Service has a zero-fail mission, according to Committee Chairman James Comer, but it failed on July 13 and in the days before the attempted assassination of President Trump. Given the notable security disappointments in Pennsylvania, the Mystery Administration has turned into a face of inadequacy and Executive Comer encouraged Chief Cheatle to leave.
Director Comer: ” Despite having a sizable budget and thousands of employees, the Secret Service has now emerged as the face of incompetence. The Secret Service has not been providing Americans with answers to their questions. Instead, every day, leaks and whistleblowers reveal new information about the events surrounding the attempted assassination. Despite the fact that Americans demand accountability for this historic failure, no one has yet been fired. Director Cheatle, I am of the firm opinion that you ought to resign.
During Administrator Comer’s scrutinizing, Chief Cheatle neglected to explain or address essential inquiries connected with specialists appointed to safeguard President Trump upon the arrival of the death endeavor.
Executive Comer: “What number of Mystery Administration specialists were relegated to President Best upon the arrival of the assembly?”
Chief Cheatle: “I won’t get into the particulars of the quantities of faculty that we had there however we feel that there was an adequate number of specialists relegated.”
Director Comer: “There are reports that few of the specialists doled out to the assembly on July thirteenth were brief specialists. Specialists not typically doled out to President Best, is that exact?”
Chief Cheatle: “Everything we can say to you is that the specialists that were relegated to Previous President Trump were Secret Help specialists that give close security to him, and that was genuine on that day.”
Executive Comer: “What number of brief specialists were there that day?”
Chief Cheatle: “every now and again sir during effort occasions the Mystery Administration uses specialists from HSI or DHS… ”
Director Comer: “Have the examiners recreated the shooters developments in the previous days, weeks, and months? We want to have certainty that they are driving a valid examination since there are a few of us sitting up here today that don’t have a trust in the FBI. So I will rehash the inquiry: have the examiners reproduced the shooters developments in the previous days, weeks, and months?”
Chief Cheatle: “I comprehend your inquiry Executive and I share your interests about ensuring we have real data, the FBI is directing a criminal examination, the Mystery Administration is leading an inward examination, there are various OIG examinations, and there is the outer examination.”
Executive Comer: “Before July thirteenth, had the Trump detail mentioned extra assets?”
Chief Cheatle: “Everything I can say to you is for the occasion on July thirteenth, the resources that were mentioned for that day, were given.”
House Legal executive Advisory group Administrator Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) squeezed Chief Cheatle on reports showing the U.S. Secret Help denied different solicitations from the Trump lobby for extra security and defensive measures.
Rep. Jordan said, Chief, would you say you were speculating or lying when you said you didn’t divert down demands from President Trump’s detail? How often did you turn them down? You said no when they repeatedly asked for assistance. What did you decline? How often? Essential inquiries.”
Cheatle, the director: What I can tell you is that there are sometimes alternatives to handling requests made by details.
Rep. Jordan: ” It’s pretty damn frustrating for the nation that you can’t even tell us how many times their requests were denied.
Cheatle, the director: I understand your annoyance.
Rep. Jordan said, People are interested in learning this information. They pay your compensation. It appears that you are unable to respond to simple inquiries, that you have received a nine percent raise, and that you have compromised on security. I think it looks like that. You have not responded to a single question from me, the Chairman, or the Ranking Member. There are no questions you have answered.
The Secret Service receives billions of dollars from taxpayers, but recent internal surveys indicate that agents are leaving the agency and performance is declining under Director Cheatle’s leadership, according to Rep. Foxx (R-N.C.).
Rep. Foxx said, The Mystery Administration gets billions in financing every year. In point of fact, you have received 55% increases. Obviously an absence of monetary assets isn’t at fault for the staffing deficiencies. Can you explain why so many employees left in one year in 2022? Nearly half of the Secret Service’s workforce left in that year.
Cheatle, the director: We are going to hire the best people. To complete a task, our men and women prioritize service over self-interest and a culture.
Rep. Foxx said, Those on the bleeding edges surely have an extraordinary culture. To safeguard President Trump, they were willing to put their lives in danger. The agency’s leadership culture does not inspire any confidence in me.
D-Ill. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi criticized Director Cheatle for not responding to basic questions about recorded footage that clearly showed the gunman getting ready to kill President Trump.
Krishnamoorthi, Rep. : That is a danger! In that general area in the video, the person is on the rooftop, and everyone is hollering at him.”
Cheatle, the director: Yes.”
Krishnamoorthi, Rep. : And since the rally was not halted at that point, are they focusing the officers’ attention on him?
Cheatle, the director: We are still combing through communications to determine when they were sent.
Krishnamoorthi, Rep. : Two minutes earlier, the shots began to ring out. Chief Cheatle yes or no, was there ever a second where the Mystery Administration really considered stopping the meeting?”
Cheatle, the director: If they had known, the rally would have been halted by the Secret Service.
Krishnamoorthi, Rep. : Therefore, the response is no, correct?
Cheatle, the director: I can give you general advice.
Krishnamoorthi, Rep. : No, no, I don’t need sweeping statements, I need particulars, the response is no, you didn’t consider stopping the meeting, right?”
Cheatle, the director: If a threat had been identified, the individuals in charge of protecting the President on that day would never bring the former President out.
Krishnamoorthi, Rep. : Well, they did; in the 20 minutes prior to the shooting, I discovered three locations where a threat existed.
Representative Pete Sessions (R-Texas) said that Director Cheatle hasn’t been open and that Secret Service leadership hasn’t held any employees accountable for unacceptable security breaches.
Sessions: “Rep. I’ve heard you say, “Well, you have to wait, you need to wait, wait for the final report” numerous times today. When is the final report due? When will the final, final event occur? I mean, how long will it take for you to provide us with answers that are trustworthy? You have been there for 28 years, you have had a few days to draw your own analysis of this, and you should understand the entire process. You talked about being on the team, you talked about your experience in this, and you talked about the professional nature of the agency, which I don’t doubt. However, I haven’t heard you say anything about “my analysis is, I have asked these questions.” Instead, you always say, “I have to sit back and wait for someone else to decide that.” So I’m have any representatives been focused for their job in Steward Dad?”
Cheatle, the director: No sir.”
Rep. Meetings: ” So no employee has been disciplined or placed in a position that would jeopardize their employment?”
Cheatle, the director: We are currently going through… Rep. Sessions: That’s not what I asked; you run the place and are the only person who can tell good from bad and right from wrong. You have had several days, and now that you are in front of this Committee, you must delegate it to someone else because you are aware that you will be in front of us. As a professional at an agency for 28 years, do you see where something went wrong, or do you have to wait for someone else to give you the final report?
Cheatle, the director: I see that something turned out badly, and I recognize that something turned out badly… ”
Rep. Meetings: ” Then, at that point, what turned out badly? Was the in charge special agent not performing their duties? Was extra time given to the shooter? Did the sniper perform their duties? People who have been around for 28 years can quickly analyze these things.
Kansas Rep. Jake LaTurner pointed out that the fact that Secret Service Director Cheatle did not provide any information about the attempted assassination of President Trump has fueled online conspiracy theories and misinformation.
LaTurner, Rep. Are you concerned about the current rise in the popularity of conspiracy theories?
Cheatle, the director: Yes.”
LaTurner, Rep. I’m as well, you’ve been amazingly conflicting with your responses before this Panel today and what you will uncover. You have acknowledged that the shooter was identified using a range finder, that President Trump’s information was sufficient for the threats he faced from Iran, and that some details were incorrectly reported in your words; however, you have not been willing to provide any information regarding the decision to place the building in question outside the perimeter, the explosives that were placed in the shooter’s vehicle, the shooter’s use of a drone, or the precise time when the Secret Service identified the shooter as a threat. What is your standard today for what you’re willing to share and what you are not? because of your inconsistent behavior.
Cheatle, the director: I want to make sure that the information that we provide to this Committee is consistent and factual. I’m sure you can understand that some of the information that has been provided to you thus far has come from the FBI’s investigation and information that we have released.
LaTurner, Rep. However, when the Chairman asked about the drone at the beginning of the hearing, “do you know this information?” And you responded, “Yes, you do know this information, but you don’t want to tell us.” “What we want to know today and what should dispel some of the conspiracy theories that are out there is, what would increase trust in the American people is for you to let facts out, for you to tell us what you know, and I want to understand from you why that is a problem?”
Cheatle, the director: We need to make sure that there are gaps don’t happen again.
LaTurner, Rep. That cannot be right. That is insufficient.
Representative Pat Fallon (R-Texas) pointed out that agents were placed on similar rooftops and discussed Director Cheatle’s inconsistent explanation for failing to position an agent on the sloped roof accessed by the gunman.
Rep. Fallon said, Do sloped roofs fall under the purview of the Secret Service?
Cheatle, the director: No.”
Rep. Fallon: ” Then why did you act as if one existed?! You were saying there was a wellbeing worry with the rooftop the shooter got to. However, you stationed your countersnipers on a roof that was steeper than the other roof—every law enforcement official I’ve spoken to recently is surprised that no agent was stationed there. You are giving only regrettable reasons.”
Michigan Representative Lisa McClain emphasized that Director Cheatle had less than a week to get ready for her testimony before Congress, but she still didn’t give the American people any answers.
McClain, Rep. How much time did you spend preparing for this hearing?
Cheatle, the director: Over the weekend and into last week, I have been getting ready for this hearing.
McClain, Rep. Okay, five days then? Six weeks?
Cheatle, the director: The date I received the letter requesting my attendance is unknown.
Rep. McClain: ” What do you know for sure? Are you satisfied with your hair’s color? Are you certain of your suit’s color? Let the American public know what you make certain of, you’re not even certain of when you began planning for this conference? You have no idea what I mean when I say the most important hearing of your life; you mightn’t? When you began planning for this consultation? Do you comprehend why the American people perceive those words as hollow? Who are you supposed to trust with their faith?
Cheatle, the director: Rep. McClain: “I assure you, the moment I received notification…” However, you cannot recall.
Florida Representative Mike Waltz brought up the Mystery Administration has neglected to hold a solitary public interview to convey data or really try to console the American nation that the Mystery Administration is ready to satisfy its liabilities.
Rep. Waltz said, Since the attempted assassination, how many press conferences have you held? risen to the microphone and fielded questions from the media and public.
Cheatle, the director: Zero.”
Rep. Waltz said, What number has DHS held?
Cheatle, the director: I’m not sure.”
Rep. Waltz said, Zero. What number has the FBI detained? Zero. This is how fake news spreads. Nine days later, you still do not have any answers. There were multiple shooters, according to national anchors and online rumors. There was speculation that foreign involvement could have occurred. Have you effectively explain these things today? You haven’t, no. I would fire you. You are exacerbating things and there is bipartisan shock here.”
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