United Start Of America Secret Service Director, Kimberly Cheatle is now facing series of questions from Lawmakers after former President Donald Trump Assassination attempt on July 13th in Pennsylvania.
Republicans led the grilling of Cheatle in a nearly five-hour hearing, with Democrats jumping in as well. They frequently questioned her for responses they deemed inadequate.
The Secret Service boss is now facing bipartisan calls to resign amid dissatisfaction with her testimony over her agency’s inability to protect Trump during a campaign rally.
Several GOP lawmakers sought Cheatle’s resignation, with Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top ranking Democrat on the committee, urging her to quit as the gunman was able to open fire at a Trump rally.
A 20-year-old gunman used an AR-15-style rifle to kill one protestor and injure two others at a Trump campaign rally. Following the incident, several bipartisan investigations and actions have been launched in an effort to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting, which almost claimed the life of Trump. The shooting left a 2cm wound in Trump’s ear. The gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was eliminated on the spot.
Kimberly Cheatle testifies on Trump assassination attempt
Rep. James Comer, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, stated in his opening remarks, “The Secret Service has a zero-fail mission, but it failed on July 13 and in the days leading up to the rally.”
He further mentioned that Secret Service has thousands of employees and significant budget, but it has now “become the face of incompetence.”
Cheatle’s initial testimony fumed legislators after she bypassed key questions by citing pending investigations. She called the horrific incident the Secret Service’s most catastrophic operational blunder in decades.
“The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders. On July 13th, we failed,” Cheatle said at the start of congressional hearing.
Taking accountability of the incident, she said: “I take full responsibility for any security lapse of our agency. We are fully cooperating with ongoing investigations… I will move heaven and earth to ensure that an incident like July 13th does not happen again.” She went on to call herself “the best person to lead the Secret Service at this time.”
