Rep. Nancy Mace (D-Lausanne) on Monday called Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle’s response that she had “no idea” how the opening statement at today’s House Oversight Committee hearing on the Trump rally shooting was leaked to the media “bullshit.”
The South Carolina senator’s fiery comments came after he was directed by Mace to answer a series of “yes” or “no” questions about the Secret Service’s response to the assassination attempt on former President Trump in Pennsylvania, to which Cheatle answered “yes” that it was a “huge failure” and a tragedy that could have been prevented.
“Do you think it was political to leak your opening statement to Punchbowl News, Politico Playbook and The Washington Post just hours before you sent it to this committee? Yes or no?” Mace asked Cheatle.
“I have no idea how my statement got leaked,” Cheatle replied, to which Mace replied, “Well, that’s bullshit.”
Timeline: Trump assassination attempt
Rep. Nancy Mace slammed Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle for her answers to questions during a House Oversight Committee hearing on Monday, July 22. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Mace began by pointing to news articles that were published between 5 and 7 a.m. ET, about three to four hours before the House Oversight Committee said it had received Cheatle’s statement.
Mace then asked Cheatle, “Have you provided this committee with all audio and video recordings in your possession as requested on July 15th? Yes or no?”
“I’ll get back to you,” Cheatle said.
“That’s not OK. You’re talking nonsense today. You’re being totally dishonest,” Mace told Cheatle before being interrupted by a question about decorum inside the hearing room in Rep. Rayburn’s office building on Capitol Hill.
Secret Service director speaks frankly, admits “we screwed up” but won’t resign
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testified before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee about the assassination attempt on former President Trump. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Jr.)
“You’re being dishonest or you’re lying. You’ve been dishonest with this committee,” Mace continued. “These are important questions that the American people want answered. You’re just evading them with generalities. We’ve had to subpoena you, we’ve had to have you come here, and you’re not even going to answer the questions. We’ve asked you to answer the questions over and over again. This isn’t hard. These aren’t hard questions.”
Speaking to Fox News on Monday outside the hearing room where Cheatle was testifying, Mace said she was “not taking this seriously at all” and that it was “as if she wasn’t afraid of being fired, and that’s the problem.”
LIVE UPDATES: Secret Service Director speaks out about Trump assassination attempt
Rep. Nancy Mace questions Kimberly Cheatle, director of the U.S. Secret Service. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Click here to get the FOX News app
“She wouldn’t answer our questions. These are very basic questions,” Mace said. “She couldn’t even answer the question about how many Secret Service agents were on the scene that day. That’s total bullshit.”
Fox News’ Kelly Phares contributed to this report.
