Republican senators on Wednesday confronted Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle at the Republican National Convention over Saturday’s assassination attempt on former President Trump, arguing that she owes the public and the president an “accountability.”
The video shows Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) confronting Cheatle in Milwaukee. Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) also got involved.
“This is disruptive,” Barrasso can be heard yelling at Cheatle as he moves through the chamber.
House Republican leaders demand accountability for Trump assassination attempt: ‘Too many questions’
Former President Trump survived an assassination attempt during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. (Trump Campaign/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“This was an assassination attempt. They owe the American people an explanation, they owe President Trump an explanation,” Blackburn said.
in Create a separate long videoSenators are seen questioning Cheatle, to which she responds by saying this is not the appropriate place for a debate but that she is happy to answer questions, and then leaves the room, at which point she is yelled at by the senators.
The announcement comes as Republicans and some Democrats have blasted the FBI over the circumstances surrounding the attempted assassination of President Trump on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania. The suspect has been identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, and the FBI is investigating a specific motive.
Trump was shot in the ear, while one attendee was killed and two were wounded. As details emerge about witnesses seeing the gunman scale the building, lawmakers are questioning how he got so close and was able to fire multiple shots.
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The photo shows Senators Marsha Blackburn and John Barrasso confronting Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. (@VoteMarsha/X)
FBI Director Christopher Wray held an all-party briefing with members of both the House and Senate on Wednesday to discuss lawmakers’ questions and concerns. Barrasso previously told Fox News that the meeting was a “totally covered briefing.”
Cheatle agreed to comply with a subpoena from House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, who called the shooting “unacceptable” and “something that should never happen again.”
“The responsibility is mine,” she told ABC News. “I am the director of the Secret Service and I have to make sure that we conduct investigations and provide resources to our personnel as needed.”
However, she has come under fire for speaking out about “sloping roofs” posing safety hazards.
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“That building in particular has a sloped roof on the highest part, so for safety reasons we didn’t want people to be on a sloped roof, so the decision was made to protect the building from the inside,” she said.
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So far, her answers have fallen short of satisfying many Republicans, including Sens. Barrasso and Blackburn.
“The Director of the Secret Service’s refusal to answer our questions is egregious. This is one of the greatest security failures in Secret Service history. She can run, but she can’t hide. She is a failed leader and needs to resign immediately,” Blackburn said in a statement.
Fox News’ Liz Elkind and Aisha Husney contributed to this report.
