Washington, D.C. – Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle found herself in the hot seat on Monday during a five-hour House Oversight Committee hearing. Lawmakers from both sides grilled her about the agency’s failure to prevent an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Admitting Mistakes but Staying Put
Cheatle didn’t shy away from admitting that there were major security lapses. She took “full responsibility” for the breach that allowed 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks to open fire on the crowd with an AR-15-style rifle. Despite the criticism, Cheatle made it clear she’s not planning to step down, saying she believes she’s “the best person to lead the Secret Service at this time.”
Calls for Resignation
Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Kentucky, started the hearing by praising the bravery of the agents who acted on the day of the attack. But he didn’t hold back on criticizing the agency’s management and called for Cheatle’s resignation. He wasn’t alone; lawmakers from both parties echoed this sentiment.
“The Secret Service has a zero-fail mission, but it failed on July 13 and in the days leading up to the rally,” Comer said. “It is my firm belief, Director Cheatle, that you should resign.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, the committee’s ranking Democrat, also demanded Cheatle step down. “I think that the director has lost the confidence of Congress at a very urgent and tender moment in the history of the country,” Raskin stated.
What Went Wrong?
On July 13, Crooks managed to open fire on Trump and the crowd shortly after the former president began speaking at the rally. Trump ended up with a minor injury to his right ear. Crooks, who was on a nearby rooftop, was killed by a Secret Service sniper less than 30 seconds after he fired his first shot. Sadly, two rally attendees were seriously wounded, and Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter, was killed.
Cheatle revealed that the Secret Service had been alerted multiple times about a “suspicious individual” at the rally but didn’t classify him as a threat. “There were teams sent to identify and interview that individual,” she explained, “but they were unable to locate him before he opened fire.”
Looking Forward
Despite calls for her resignation, Cheatle stood firm. “I will move heaven and earth to ensure that an incident like July 13 does not happen again,” she vowed. She admitted the failure was “the most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades.”
As the hearing wrapped up, the future of Cheatle’s leadership remained uncertain. The Secret Service is under immense pressure to overhaul its protocols and regain trust in its ability to protect the nation’s leaders.
