Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has publicly stated that she had secured “additional assets offered” for the Pennsylvania President Butler’s rally last year, countering Senator Rand Paul’s intense claims.
Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, contended that Cheatle misled Congress when she testified that resources were not withheld from Butler’s team.
“Typically, the Secret Service director isn’t directly involved in the approval or denial of support requests,” Cheatle explained in a statement. This was shared by her lawyer on Sunday. “In the case of the Butler Rally, I actually facilitated extra assets, particularly agency counter-snipers.”
“To suggest that I provided misleading testimony is completely false and detrimental to the frontline agents who face unfair repercussions for team decisions rather than personal ones,” she added.
Cheatle’s lawyer confirmed that her statement was a response to Paul’s remarks, especially his disparaging comments made earlier that Sunday.
On the one-year anniversary of the assassination attempt against Trump in Butler, Paul released a significant report. It asserted that there were “at least two instances” where the Secret Service rejected requests related to the rally.
These included demands for additional counter-drone systems. The report also mentioned that the Secret Service did not provide the necessary counter-assault team coordination, a claim supported by previous agent testimonies.
Paul’s report indicated that at least 10 significant requests during the 2024 campaign cycle were either denied or unmet. Cheatle had testified before the House Oversight Committee nine days post-assassination attempt, asserting, “No requests were denied at the Butler event.”
Paul criticized Cheatle during a CBS News interview, saying, “She didn’t tell the truth. The critical requests from Trump’s Secret Service and campaign revolved around countersnipers.”
He expressed gratitude that no one was harmed that day in Butler County, Pennsylvania.
In response to the criticism directed at her, Cheatle acknowledged the “need for reform” within certain congressional circles, suggesting that there were areas that required improvement.
She clarified that her testimony was based on the information provided by headquarters staff and current Secret Service Director Sean Curran, who managed Trump’s detail at the time.
Cheatle also expressed condolences to the victims’ families from the tragic shootings that occurred at the rally, noting, “The events of July 13, 2024 had a profound impact on our nation. My thoughts remain with all those affected.”
Cheatle resigned from her position as Secret Service Director the day after her testimony, with Ronald Lowe stepping in as acting director in the subsequent months. Trump appointed Curran as the new Secret Service Director shortly after his inauguration in January.
Multiple investigations by lawmakers have unveiled several deficiencies in preparation for potential assassination attempts, drawing parallels to the shortcomings in law enforcement.
Despite these issues, Trump maintained his confidence in the Secret Service, remarking, “They must have had someone inside. They had a bad day. I still have a lot of confidence in these people; they are talented and capable, but they just had a rough day.”
