U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is testifying before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee about the security failures that led to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life.
On July 13, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to assassinate Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Several bullets passed within millimeters of Trumps head, at least one grazing his ear. Two rallygoers were hurt, and Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief, was tragically killed by stray bullets while shielding his wife and daughter.
Cheatle failed to provide requested materials to the Committee ahead their hearing, Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Green reported on X, Monday morning.
“We requested audio recordings from July 13 and names of SS detail names and Kimberly Cheatle has not turned any of it in to us for the Oversight Committee Hearing today,” Taylor-Green reported on X, Monday. “She also did not submit her testimony to our committee, but somehow Punchbowl is reporting excerpts.”
Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said he didn’t think the director deserves to maintain her position as head of the Secret Service, “but members and the American people will make their own decision based on her answers today.”
In her opening testimony, Cheatle acknowledged that the assassination attempt on Trump’s life was “the most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades.” She also offered her condolences to the family of Cory Comperatore
“The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders. On July 13th, we failed,” Cheatle is expected to tell lawmakers, according to prepared remarks reviewed by CNN. “As the Director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse.”
The agency, Cheatle said “must learn what happened and I will move heaven and earth to ensure an incident like July 13th does not happen again. Thinking about what we should have done differently is never far from my thoughts.”
Cheatle added that she would “move heaven and earth to ensure that an incident like July 13 does not happen again.”
Livestream video of the hearing below: