Kimberly Cheatle, director of the US Secret Service, testified for hours before Congress on Monday, facing grilling from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle about the agency’s security failings that enabled the assassination attempt on former President Trump.
Cheatle testified before the House Oversight Committee, which he chaired under subpoena from Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.).
Rep. Mace calls Secret Service Director Cheatle’s response “a blunder”
Cheatle testified before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, exactly one week after an attempted assassin named Thomas Crooks tried to take his life at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13.
During the rally, Trump turned his head just slightly to avoid a bullet fired by 20-year-old suspect Crooks’ AR-15 rifle by just a quarter of an inch. The bullet instead struck him in the upper right ear.
U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee during a hearing at Rep. Rayburn’s Office Building in Washington, D.C., on July 22, 2024. Director Cheatle has vowed to cooperate with any investigations into the agency following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The bullets killed Corey Comperatore, a firefighter, father and husband, and severely injured two others as he tried to shield his family from the gunfire.
Cheatle admitted under oath that the Secret Service “failed on July 13th.”
Here are the top five moments from the highly anticipated hearing.
Cheatle admits Secret Service “failed” on July 13
“On July 13th, we failed,” Cheatle told the House Oversight Committee about his agency’s response to the assassination attempt on the former president and the shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“As Director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security failures at my agency,” she continued.
“We must know what happened, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that an incident like July 13 never happens again,” Cheatle said. “Our agents, officers and support personnel understand that they must sacrifice their lives every day to carry out the mission without failure.”
Democrats and Republicans call for Cheatle’s resignation
Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, joined other Republicans in calling for Cheatle to resign.
But Democrats have also called for her to resign, with Rep. Ro Khanna of California saying, “When there’s an assassination attempt on a president, a former president or a candidate, she needs to resign.”
Cheatle said he had no plans to resign and was committed to holding the massive security failures to account for the American people.
Timeline: Trump assassination attempt
Rep. Greg Stube (R-Fla.) has said he plans to introduce articles of impeachment against her.
“Given Kimberly Cheatle’s unacceptable response to the assassination attempt on Trump, her dismal appearance before the House Oversight Committee today, and her refusal to resign, I have no choice but to impeach,” Steve said in a post on X. “I will be filing articles of impeachment against Kimberly Cheatle this afternoon.”
Director of the U.S. Secret Service Kimberly Cheatle leaves the room after testifying at a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing on U.S. Secret Service oversight and the attempted assassination of President Donald J. Trump, Monday, July 22, 2024, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey Jr.)
Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida also accused Cheatle of lying, obstructing members of the House Oversight Committee and making her protectees “easy targets” as long as she’s in charge.
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace called Cheatle’s response “a blunder.”
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 anything I said got leaked,” Cheatle responded.
Rep. Nancy Mace said during a House hearing on Monday, July 22, 2024 that Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is “a liar.” (Associated Press)
Mace shot back, “Well, that’s bullshit–”
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?”
Secret Service director speaks frankly, admits “we screwed up” but won’t resign
“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.
Cheatle could not say how many times the Trump campaign had requested additional security.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said Monday that “no requests were denied from former President Trump’s team regarding the event at Butler.”
“They asked for additional assistance in some way. You told them no. How many times did you say no? And to what did you say no?” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) asked Cheatle, citing Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump is escorted off stage during a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“All I can say is that generally speaking, if someone who wants more information makes a request, there may be other ways to conceal the threat or report,” Cheatle responded.
House Oversight Committee member Cheatle says he called Trump to apologize after shooting
Cheatle testified Monday that he called former President Trump to apologize after the shooting.
She also tried to explain to the committee that her agency was unaware of any suspicious threats during the rally, even though people were pointing at a man on a roof minutes before former President Trump was shot.
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But she stressed that the Secret Service and “those responsible for protecting the president on that day would never have removed the former president if there had been a confirmed threat.”
In an interview on “Jesse Watters Primetime” that aired Monday night, Trump said Cheatle visited him a few days after the assassination attempt.
“It went very well. I thought she was a very nice person. But somebody should have made sure there was no one on that roof,” he said.
Fox News’ Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.
