US Secret Service director admits failure in Trump shooting

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle admitted to Congress Monday (22) that she and her agency failed when a gunman wounded Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a July 13 campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

“We failed. As director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security failures,” Cheatle, who faces Republican calls for her removal, said in testimony before the House Oversight Committee.

“The July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump is the most significant operational failure by the Secret Service in decades,” Cheatle said.

Facing Republican allegations that the Secret Service withheld resources to protect Trump, she said the former president’s security had been increased ahead of the attack.

“The level of security provided to the former president increased well before the campaign and has steadily increased as threats have evolved,” Cheatle said. “Our mission is not political. It is literally a matter of life and death.”

Monday’s hearing (22) marked the first round of congressional oversight into the assassination attempt. On Wednesday (24), FBI Director Christopher Wray will appear before the House Judiciary Committee. And House Speaker Mike Johnson is also expected to unveil a bipartisan task force to act as a liaison for the House investigations.

Cheatle has resisted calls to resign from top Republicans, including Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The shooting at an outdoor campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, left Trump wounded in the ear, one rally attendee dead and another wounded. The suspect in the shooting, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, was killed by police. It is unclear what the motive for the shooting was.

The incident has angered lawmakers, who say the suspect was able to reach Trump on the roof of a nearby building because of security lapses at Cheatle’s agency, which is tasked with protecting presidents and former presidents.