Secret Service director grilled on ‘stunning’ failures to protect Trump

Embattled Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle faced heated questioning Monday at the House Oversight Committee’s hearing on the agency’s missteps in the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Cheatle was repeatedly grilled throughout a hearing that lasted close to five hours as lawmakers chided her for answers they found unsatisfactory, with Republicans leading the way but Democrats joining in as well.

Numerous GOP lawmakers and at least one Democratic congressman had called for Cheatle’s resignation before Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the committee, joined the push Monday for the director to leave her post.

Cheatle signaled she has no intention of resigning, saying she is “the best person to lead the Secret Service at this time.”

Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Kentucky, opened the hearing by lauding the efforts of individual Secret Service agents that day. But he said he was concerned the agency lacks the “proper management” and said Cheatle should resign. Cheatle, in prepared remarks, said “we failed.” She took “full responsibility” for security lapses that allowed Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, to open fire on the crowd with an AR-15-style rifle before being killed by a Secret Service sniper.

“I will move heaven and earth to ensure that an incident like July 13 does not happen again,” Cheatle said.

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