(GoRealNewsNow.com) – Getting grilled by lawmakers from both parties, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle confessed during a tense congressional hearing yesterday that the agency had significant security failures in protecting former President Donald Trump.
UPDATE: CHEATLE HAS RESIGNED.
The hearing addressed the lapses that permitted an assailant to position himself on a roof and fire at a Trump campaign rally.
In her first testimony since the July 13 assassination attempt, Cheatle frustrated lawmakers by deflecting questions due to ongoing investigations. She described the incident as the “most significant operational failure” for the Secret Service in decades.
Cheatle also confirmed that her agency had been alerted multiple times about a suspicious individual prior to the event but failed to prevent the near-tragic outcome.
Despite acknowledging her responsibility for the security shortcomings, Cheatle indicated no plans to resign, instead promising drastic measures to prevent a recurrence. “The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders. On July 13th, we failed,” she declared.
Moreover, lawmakers questioned Cheatle about the oversight that allowed the gunman proximity to Trump, who was under supposed tight security. They also queried why the rally proceeded even after local law enforcement flagged the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, as suspicious.
Cheatle explained that while Crooks was observed with a range finder—commonly used to measure distance—this did not escalate to an “actual threat” level that would have warranted halting the rally. She differentiated between someone merely being suspicious versus posing a direct threat.
Additionally, inquiries about the absence of agents at the shooter’s location or whether drones were utilized for surveillance were met with Cheatle’s response that she awaited further investigation results, leading to visible frustration among the committee members.
Despite nearly three decades of service, Cheatle’s leadership was questioned, with comparisons drawn to historical precedents where leaders resigned following significant failures.
The incident, which resulted in Trump sustaining an ear injury, one attendee’s death, and injuries to two others, marks the gravest assassination attempt on a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan in 1981.
Furthermore, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has also labeled the event a “failure,” and multiple lawmakers have urged Cheatle’s resignation or her dismissal by Joe Biden.
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