Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is set to face intense questioning from lawmakers on Monday, as she takes full responsibility for the security breach that led to the shooting of former President Donald Trump. In prepared remarks, Cheatle will acknowledge that the agency 'failed' in its mission to protect the nation's leaders.
'The Secret Service's solemn mission is to protect our nation's leaders. On July 13th, we failed,' Cheatle is expected to tell the House Oversight Committee. 'As the Director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse.' Despite calls for her resignation from both Republicans and some Democrats, Cheatle has insisted she will not step down.
The hearing marks the first extensive public examination of the July 13 incident, in which 20-year-old Thomas Crooks fired multiple rounds at Trump, injuring the former president and several attendees, and killing firefighter Corey Comperatore. Lawmakers have learned that the shooter was spotted about an hour before firing, and counter-snipers saw him on a roof 20 minutes before the attack. Cheatle could not explain how Crooks accessed the roof, citing safety concerns about the sloped surface as the reason no agents were stationed there.
Committee Chairman James Comer has described the Secret Service as 'the face of incompetence' and indicated that Cheatle will face 'hundreds of questions' during the six-hour hearing. Cheatle has admitted the breach was 'unacceptable' and 'preventable,' but has offered few answers about what went wrong.
