The House of Representatives subpoenaed Secret Service chief Kimblerly Cheatle on Monday. And leading up to the hearing, several Republican lawmakers, including Speaker Mike Johnson, have said they want to see her ousted.
During his opening remarks, Kimblerly Cheatle said the Secret Service failed to protect the ex-president during the campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Shooting at Donald Trump
First statement on Trump’s injury: Recovering
The Trump supporter in Skaulo about the attack on the ex-president
– The assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on July 13 is the biggest failure of the Secret Service in decades, she said and continued:
– I take full responsibility for all security deficiencies. We are fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
Considered suspect
The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, had been identified as a suspect before the assassination attempt, but the Secret Service did not know if he was armed or posed a threat before he opened fire, according to Cheatle.
– If the detail force had been told that there was a threat, they would never have taken the former president on stage.
Criticism has also been raised about the agency’s failure to increase security resources ahead of Trump’s campaign rally in Butler.
“Security surrounding the former president had increased prior to the campaign and grew as the threat level developed,” Cheatle said.
– Our mission is not political. It is literally a matter of life and death.
Javascript must be enabled to play video
Hear the words of the Secret Service chief during the interrogation. Photo: Rod Lamkey
“Doesn’t deserve the position”
Several representatives say during the hearing that Cheatle should not remain as head of the Secret Service after the assassination attempt.
“I do not believe that Director Cheatle deserves to retain his position as head of the Secret Service,” Republican James Cormer said during the opening of the hearing.
– The Secret Service has thousands of employees and a significant budget but has now become the face of incompetence.
Democratic Representative Gerry Connolly said “unacceptable incidents like this highlight that we are an increasingly polarized nation”.
On Wednesday, FBI director Christopher Wray will be questioned.
The hearing is still ongoing. The text is updated.