The Secret Service’s top official on Tuesday said her agency was “totally responsible” for failing to protect Donald Trump from a would-be assassin at his Pennsylvania rally Saturday.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle shifted sole blame onto her agency for allowing Thomas Matthew Crooks to access a rooftop and open fire on the former president, despite saying previously that local law enforcement from Butler County had a hand in the debacle.

Crooks shot and killed one rallygoer, wounded two others and fired a bullet that hit Mr. Trump’s ear before the 20-year-old gunman was killed by Secret Service snipers.

“At that particular site, we divided up areas of responsibility, but the Secret Service is totally responsible for the design and implementation and the execution of the site,” Ms. Cheatle told CNN.

She said earlier this week that local law enforcement was in charge of guarding the area that Crooks used for his attack since it was outside the Secret Service’s perimeter.

“What I was trying to stress was that we just divided up areas of responsibility, and they provided support to those areas of responsibility,” Ms. Cheatle told CNN about the role of the local police. She added that her agency “couldn’t do our job without them.”

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The agency leader said it was her call to keep snipers inside the building that Crooks eventually used as his shooting perch.

She told ABC News that the structure’s sloped roof presented a safety hazard for counter snipers, so they were ordered to stay inside.

Those same snipers radioed for backup after seeing Crooks carrying a bag by the building. Bystanders also called police once they saw Crooks climb onto the roof.

Two Butler Township police officers responded to the scene, and one of them was lifted up to the roof’s edge to investigate the suspect.

Police said Crooks noticed the officer, turned around and pointed his gun at the cop.

The officer lost his grip on the roof and fell to the ground. Crooks opened fire on the rally moments later.

SEE ALSO: Speaker Johnson to set up task force to probe near Trump assassination

Multiple high-profile Republicans have called for Ms. Cheatle’s resignation following the deadly security lapse, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Steve Scalise, both from Louisiana.

Mr. Johnson also told Fox News on Wednesday that he wants to set up a bipartisan task force to investigate the shooting.

Senators and House members were to have separate briefings Wednesday on the attempted assassination, with the Secret Service, FBI, Justice Department and Homeland Security running the meetings.

• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.