Acting Director of the U.S. Secret Service Ronald Rowe Jr. said Monday he “does not have any information” about whether the suspected assassin of former President Donald Trump knew that Trump was going golfing.
Rowe's comments came at a press conference at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office the day after the second assassination attempt on President Trump in two months.
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“Is there any evidence that the suspects knew that Donald Trump would be on the golf course at that time, and was the golf course thoroughly searched prior to the former president's arrival?” a reporter asked Lowe.
Lowe initially gave a specific response, saying, “This was an informal move, meaning it was not on the former president's official schedule.”
“And what I go back to is the Secret Service's multi-layered approach, elements and methodology,” he added, praising the agents who engaged the suspect.
The reporter followed up his first question by asking, “Was there any evidence to suggest the suspect knew that Donald Trump was on the golf course at the time?”
“Based on what I know right now, it's an ongoing investigation so I don't have any information on that,” Rowe said.
Lowe had previously said the suspect did not fire a shot and did not “have visual contact” with Trump.
Rowe became acting director of the Secret Service on July 23, just one week after Trump was nearly assassinated at a rally in Balter, Pennsylvania on July 13. His predecessor, Kimberly Cheatle, resigned the next day after saying she was unable or unwilling to answer questions from members of Congress about failing to prevent the Balter shooting.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina) blasted Cheatle at the hearing, saying he was “telling nothing but lies today.”
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Oversight and Accountability Committee
Following the hearing, on the evening of July 22, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Lead Opposition Committee Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) jointly sent an open letter to Cheatle calling on him to resign.
