US Secret Service Failed to Protect Trump, Says Director

United States Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle admitted on Monday that the agency “failed” in its duty to prevent an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Cheatle made this statement during her testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

“The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders,” Cheatle said. “On July 13, we failed. As director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse.”

The acknowledgment comes amid bipartisan calls for Cheatle’s resignation following the incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was slightly wounded in the ear while speaking at a campaign rally. The assailant, Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old gunman, opened fire with an AR-style rifle. He was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper 26 seconds after firing the first of eight shots.

Investigators determined that Crooks acted alone and had no strong ideological or political affiliations. The shooting also resulted in serious injuries to two rally attendees and the death of Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter from Freeport, Pennsylvania.

Republican committee chairman James Comer opened the hearing by stating, “This tragedy was preventable. It is my firm belief, Director Cheadle, that you should resign.”

Comer criticized the Secret Service for its failure, saying, “The Secret Service has a zero-fail mission, but it failed on July 13 and in the days leading up to the rally. The Secret Service has thousands of employees and a significant budget, but it has now become the face of incompetence.”