US Secret Service Director Cheatle: “The assassination attempt on former President Trump on July 13 is the most significant operational failure the Secret Service has experienced in decades”

Kimberly Cheatle, the Director of the U.S. Secret Service, stated that they failed in the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, saying, “The assassination attempt on former President Trump on July 13 is the most significant operational failure the Secret Service has experienced in decades.”
After the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on July 13, Director Kimberly Cheatle of the U.S. Secret Service testified before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee. In his opening remarks, Committee Chairman James Comer called for Cheatle’s resignation and reminded that nobody has resigned due to the failure to prevent the assassination attempt thus far. Comer stated, “The July 13 assassination attempt is one of the darkest days in American political history. It represents the ugliest sides of where American politics has come: hatred for each other and a dangerous turn toward extremism. We are Americans before we are Republicans or Democrats. If we hold our political affiliations above our duties and love for our country, we cannot sustain a nation.”

“Thinking about what we should do differently never leaves my mind”
Cheatle expressed that they failed in the assassination attempt against Trump, saying, “The assassination attempt on former President Trump on July 13 is the most significant operational failure the Secret Service has experienced in decades. As the Director of the U.S. Secret Service, I am fully responsible for any security vulnerabilities in our organization. We are fully cooperating in ongoing investigations.” Cheatle stated that she would do “everything possible” to prevent a similar incident from happening again, saying, “Thinking about what we should do differently never leaves my mind.”
In response to Comer’s question about why there was no agent on the roof of the building where the assassination attempt on Trump took place, Cheatle said, “As you can imagine, it has only been nine days since this incident, and there is still an ongoing investigation. Therefore, I want to make sure that the information we provide you is accurate. We are still conducting a preliminary review and looking into the decisions made. The security perimeter was outside on the day of the visit, but still, one of the things we want to look into during the investigation is this.”
Comer then asked Cheatle whether all the resources and protection requested by Trump from the Secret Service prior to the assassination attempt were provided. Cheatle stated that the resources requested for the event on July 13 were provided. Cheatle said, “Our mission is non-political. It is literally a matter of life and death.”
Committee member Jamie Raskin asked Cheatle why Trump was allowed to go on stage on July 13 despite law enforcement being warned about a “suspicious” person in the crowd. Cheatle stated that the U.S. Secret Service distinguishes between a person’s “suspicious” behavior and being a “threat,” saying, “If the Secret Service had been informed of a threat, the Secret Service would never have allowed the former president to go on stage. That is our job, and that is who we are.”
Responding strongly to calls for her resignation during her testimony, Cheatle said, “I believe I am the best person to lead the Secret Service right now,” stating that she has served in the organization for 27 years and has helped protect every president since former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Trump had pointed out potential security vulnerabilities
Trump was injured in his right ear during the assassination attempt that took place during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. After being shot, Trump held his bleeding ear and raised his fist in reaction, while being surrounded by his security and evacuated from the scene in his armored vehicle. The 20-year-old assailant, Thomas Matthew Crooks, who injured Trump, was shot and killed by snipers on the Secret Service. In an interview with a TV channel, Trump implied a security breach, saying, “How did someone get up on that roof? And why wasn’t this reported? I think this was a mistake.”