Exclusive: Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana is questioning Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle’s decision to attend the Republican National Convention (RNC) on Wednesday night as House GOP leadership seeks accountability for security failures that led to the assassination attempt on former President Trump.
“I don’t know what she was doing here, why she was walking around with all this scrutiny,” Johnson told Fox News Digital in an interview at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
“I do not understand her decision-making process and believe she is unfit to lead at this critical time.”
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Following the shooting at a rally for President Trump in Pennsylvania, House Speaker Mike Johnson is demanding accountability from Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. (Getty Images)
The embattled Secret Service director appeared on the Republican National Convention floor on Wednesday to confront several GOP senators unhappy with her answers so far about last weekend’s events.
Johnson, meanwhile, is the highest-ranking official so far to call for Cheatle’s resignation following last weekend’s mass shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
He has now commissioned a bipartisan task force, complete with subpoena power, to investigate the security failings that allowed a 20-year-old gunman to fire his gun from a rooftop just outside the rally’s boundaries, despite being seen by local police and civilians.
“Her excuses make absolutely no sense,” Johnson said. “I think accountability starts at the top, and I think everyone in this industry understands that’s incredibly important. It’s critical that we get answers and accountability quickly, so that people don’t jump to conclusions about conspiracy theories and evil plots.”
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Republican candidate Donald Trump was photographed being escorted off stage at a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024, with blood running down his face and surrounded by Secret Service agents. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)
“Some rumours are already spreading and need to be addressed immediately,” he warned.
The House members held a conference call with Cheatle and FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday to discuss their concerns about the case. A source familiar with the call told Fox News Digital at the time that the call lasted about 45 minutes and provided limited information.
Prime Minister Johnson also said on Thursday that he knew “almost nothing” when he spoke by phone.
“That’s the problem,” Johnson said. “They’re not responding quickly enough, and the answers they’re providing are not satisfactory.”
The chairman questioned President Biden’s decision to appoint Cheatle in the first place, arguing that the focus on diversity efforts within the Secret Service has downplayed more important efforts.
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Trump was shot in the ear during a rally (AP Photo/Jean J. Puskar)
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“She doesn’t seem like the most qualified person for the job and doesn’t seem to really understand what her primary responsibility is,” he said. “We’ve all seen and heard her imply that diversity in the Secret Service and getting more female officers is a top priority. That’s not a top priority. The top priority is the safety of the people they’re supposed to protect.”
The speaker’s office told Fox News Digital that a classified briefing on the shooting will be scheduled for next week.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Secret Service for comment.
