WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 22: United States Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testified before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee during a hearing at the Rayburn House Office Building on July 22, 2024 in Washington, DC. The beleaguered leader of the United States Secret Service has vowed cooperation with all investigations into the agency following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. “The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders.
On July 13, we failed,” Cheatle testified. “As the director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse. We are fully cooperating with ongoing investigations.
We must learn what happened.”
Cheatle also told the committee that she would move “heaven and Earth” to ensure that what occurred would never happen again. “Our mission is not political. It is literally a matter of life and death, as the tragic events on July 13 remind us of that,” she said.
“I have full confidence in the men and women of the Secret Service. They are worthy of our support in executing our protective mission.”
Although she seemed to be heading towards accountability, she barely answered any of the specific questions that were repeatedly thrown her way, angering many members of Congress. Khanna added that his colleagues on both sides of the aisle want her to step down.
Rep. Fallon challenged Cheatle’s leadership and the agency’s failure in detecting the threat, raising concerns over the confidence in her ability to thwart similar threats from professional adversaries. Cheatle struggled to provide satisfactory answers, drawing criticism from the committee members. A 20-year-old Pennsylvania man is suspected to be the gunman who attempted to assassinate former Pres.
Trump on Saturday, federal and local law enforcement agencies said. Video shows the suspected gunman on the roof of a building nearby the rally. Lawmakers pressed Cheatle for information on the security measures and details about the gunman’s actions, but she was unable to provide clear answers, prompting calls for an independent review of the shooting from some committee members.
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