Republican, Democrat Leaders Say Cheatle Should Resign
The chairman and ranking member of the House Oversight Committee called on Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign in a rare bipartisan joint statement on Monday, following hours of questioning the agency director.
In a letter to Ms. Cheatle, House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said she "failed to provide answers to basic questions regarding that stunning operational failure" during hours of questioning.
“In the middle of a presidential election, the Committee and the American people demand serious institutional accountability and transparency that you are not providing,” the two wrote.
“We call on you to resign as Director as a first step to allowing new leadership to swiftly address this crisis and rebuild the trust of a truly concerned Congress and the American people.”
Raskin Joins Calls for Cheatle’s Resignation
“I think that this relationship is irretrievable at this point, and I think that the director has lost the confidence of Congress at a very urgent and tender moment in the history of the country,” Mr. Raskin said.
His comments marked a rare moment of solidarity between him and the committee’s Republican chairman, Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, who advised that the pair will be requesting Ms. Cheatle’s resignation via letter.
Cheatle: Assailant Considered a Threat Only Seconds Before Shooting
“People can be suspicious, but they’re not a threat until a certain point in time. So, when did that happen?” Mr. Fry asked.
Ms. Cheatle answered that she believed it was just “seconds before the gunfire started.”
Agents were notified of "an issue being worked" about five minutes before, however.
![Snipers stand on a roof at Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump's campaign rally in Butler, Pa., on July 13, 2024. (Glen Van Tryfle/TMX via Reuters)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F07%2F16%2Fid5687291-Trump-rally-shooting.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Snipers stand on a roof at Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump's campaign rally in Butler, Pa., on July 13, 2024. (Glen Van Tryfle/TMX via Reuters)
Former Sniper Rep. Crane Raises Questions at Rally Site
“I’m on the roof of the building in Butler, PA where shots were fired in an attempt to assassinate President Trump,” Mr. Crane wrote in an X post.
“As a former Navy SEAL sniper, it was clear to me that many security measures were dropped making Pres. Trump extremely vulnerable.”
In an accompanying video, the congressman pointed out a nearby water tower, where Secret Service agents would have had a clear line of sight to the gunman had they been stationed there. He also questioned why the agents positioned within the building the shooter climbed were unable to quickly dispatch him from the windows through which they initially spotted him.
Cheatle Does Not Have Detailed Timeline of Trump Shooting
While under questioning by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Ms. Cheatle was asked if she had received any timeline of events from the July 13 rally.
“I have a timeline that does not have specifics,” Ms. Cheatle replied, drawing gasps of surprise from members of the committee.
“That’s shocking,” Ms. Greene said. “That is absolutely unacceptable. That means you are a failure at your job.”
Director Spoke to All Agents on Ground
The Secret Service director largely declined to delve into specifics of the discussions when pressed by Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.).
"We are putting together a comprehensive report, so that I can identify the gaps and failures," she said.
The director said the gunman was dubbed a threat by agents on the ground less than five minutes before the shooting occurred.
Ms. Cheatle also said the countersniper who took out the gunman fired a single shot.
![United Sates Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee during a hearing at Capitol on July 22, 2024. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F07%2F22%2Fid5691683-GettyImages-2163042020-1200x823.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
United Sates Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee during a hearing at Capitol on July 22, 2024. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Protection Increased in Wake of Shooting
The agency currently provides protection for 36 individuals, including President Joe Biden and former President Trump.
"Some of it has been as a result of the tragic incident that occurred on the 13th," Ms. Cheatle, the Secret Service director, told lawmakers, referring to the Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
"We went back and reassessed where we were at in providing protection, and wanted to make sure that we were not overlooking anything considering this most recent incident," she added.
Secret Service Investigating Why Threat of Trump Gunman Wasn’t Communicated, Director Says
![Secret Service Investigating Why Threat of Trump Gunman Wasn’t Communicated, Director Says](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F07%2F14%2Fid5685992-APTOPIX_Election_2024_Trump_24195844159891-LSedit.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Secret Service snipers return fire after former President Donald Trump was shot at the campaign event. (Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo)
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Cheatle Confirms Rangefinder, Serial Number Details
Ms. Cheatle told Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) that the suspect used a rangefinder at the rally, noting that such devices are not prohibited from public events such as rallies.Cheatle Has Not Visited Shooting Site
Her admission shocked Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas).
“Nine days and you have not visited the site. You should have been there that night,” Mr. Fallon said.
He went on to ask Ms. Cheatle if she spoke with the former president’s Secret Service detail on the night of the shooting. She replied that she did not, as they were still on duty, but she called them the next day.
Multiple Nearby Buildings Outside Security Perimeter: Cheatle
The building was about 430 feet from the rally stage.
The director declined to delve into specifics of the Butler rally's perimeter but said that in general when Secret Service agents develop security plans and leave out buildings or other nearby areas of concern, they implement "overwatch" as a mitigation tactic.
"There was overwatch on that building that day," she said.
When asked whether overwatch meant a drone, Ms. Cheatle said she was not going to say.
Butler County officials previously said that the Secret Service told local officials it lacked the manpower to secure the building that the shooter ultimately utilized.
Cheatle: Shooting Was Preventable
When asked if she thought that was the case, she said, “Yes.” And her response was the same when asked if the Secret Service had been transparent with the committee.
But on that response, Ms. Mace disagreed with the director.
“We had to issue a subpoena to get you to show up today. That is not transparent, by the way.”
The congresswoman noted that Ms. Cheatle did not provide the committee with the names of the former president’s Secret Service detail or the audio recordings from that day, as requested. She also pointed out that Ms. Cheatle’s written testimony for the committee was leaked to several media outlets hours before the committee received it.
Secret Service Investigation Estimated to Take 60 Days
Ms. Cheatle said that the agency is still conducting interviews as she declined to tell Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) her personal analysis of what went wrong in Pennsylvania where former President Trump was shot.
Lawmakers criticized the two-month timeframe of the investigation.
"The notion of a report coming out in 60 days, when the threat environment is so high in the United States, irrespective of party, is not acceptable," Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said. "This is about the safety of some of the highly targeted and valued targets, internationally and domestically, in the United States of America."
Security Agencies Protecting Trump Did Not Communicate Directly During Rally: Report
![Security Agencies Protecting Trump Did Not Communicate Directly During Rally: Report](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F07%2F22%2Fid5691789-07202024-DSC08480-trump-OP.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Former President Donald Trump leaves after officially accepting the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich., on July 20, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)
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Shooting Investigations
Following the assassination attempt, investigations into the attack are currently underway by Congress, the DHS, and the FBI.Cheatle: No Employees Disciplined Over Trump Shooting
The reason, she said, is that the FBI investigation is still underway.
Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) was dissatisfied with that response.
“You’re the person that runs the place—you’re the person that knows right from wrong, good from bad,” Mr. Sessions said. “You’ve had a number of days, and now you come before this committee, knowing you’re going to be before us, and you’ve got to slough it off to someone else.”
The congressman pressed Ms. Cheatle for specifics on what the Secret Service did wrong.
She replied by assuring that there would be accountability, but only after she receives “a full and complete report.”
Cheatle Rebuffs Bipartisan Calls to Resign
"I think I am the best person to lead the Secret Service at this time," she said at one point.
Ms. Cheatle added later, when questioned if she believes the majority of Americans have confidence in her leadership, "I believe that the country deserves answers, and I am committed to finding those answers, and providing those answers."
Several Democrats, including Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), joined Republicans in calling for Ms. Cheatle to resign.
"If you have an assassination attempt on a president, or a candidate, you need to resign," he said.
Mr. Khanna noted that Stuart Knight resigned as director of the Secret Service in 1981 after the shooting of President Ronald Reagan. Mr. Knight "took responsibility," he said.
![A photograph of Former President Donald Trump by Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci is seen as United Sates Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee during a hearing at Capitol on July 22, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F07%2F22%2Fid5691595-GettyImages-2162409698-1200x800.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
A photograph of Former President Donald Trump by Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci is seen as United Sates Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee during a hearing at Capitol on July 22, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Agency Investigating Why Threat of Shooter Not Communicated
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle told a House Oversight panel Monday that her agency is still investigating questions why a Trump rally was allowed to continue even as witnesses of the crowd saw Thomas Matthew Crooks on the roof of a building with a direct line of sight to the former president.
“We are still combing through communications and when communications were passed,” Ms. Cheatle said, adding that the Secret Service would have stopped the rally if they knew there was an actual threat to former President Donald Trump in the July 13 shooting.
She added, “I don’t know all of the communications” on that day, adding that officials are "going back and looking at communications to know when the information about a suspicious person was passed to Secret Service personnel."
Director Defends Not Pausing Rally
"The Secret Service would have paused the rally had they known ... there was an actual threat," Ms. Cheatle told Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.).
Mr. Krishnamoorthi highlighted how state police informed Secret Service agents of concern about the shooter about 20 minutes before the man fired the shots, that the Secret Service notified its snipers about the gunman shortly after, and two minutes before the shots were fired, people at the rally were shouting about the man being on the roof of a nearby building.
Ms. Cheatle said the shooter was identified as suspicious but not as a threat.
"That doesn't look like suspicious behavior, that looks like threatening behavior to me," Mr. Krishnamoorthi said, pointing to video footage of the man on the roof.
"The people that are in charge of protecting the president on that day would never bring the former president out if there was a threat that had been identified," Ms. Cheatle said.
Democrats Focus to Gun Control
Several Democrats on the Oversight Committee focused their questioning of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on highlighting their preference for stricter gun laws.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the committee’s top Democrat, noted that former President Donald Trump’s shooter was identified by the serial number of his AR-15 thanks to a controversial tracing system that gun rights activists oppose.
Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), meanwhile, lamented that Republican lawmakers have sought to block and repeal strict Washington gun laws, including bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Referencing the 2025 appropriations bill for the federal government, Ms. Norton noted that the bill would allow anyone with a state-issued permit to carry a concealed firearm to do so in Washington as well.
“A Republican has filed an amendment to that provision to allow such an individual to carry a magazine of any size with that handgun,” she added.
And Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) suggested that the “ubiquity of guns” in the United States only makes the Secret Service’s mission more difficult.
Director: Secret Service Is 1,500 Personnel Short of What It Needs
The Secret Service has about 8,000 employees, which is short of what the agency needs, Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle said.
"We are still striving towards a number of 9,500 employees, approximately, in order to meet future and emerging needs," she told Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.).
The House of Representatives in a 2015 investigative report said it found the Secret Service was experiencing a staffing crisis that started in 2011 with the number of employees dropping across all categories of employment.
Members said at the time the three primary causes were budget cuts, systemic mismanagement at the agency, and morale issues.
Shooter Had Rangefinder: Cheatle
"Yes, he did," Ms. Cheatle told Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.).
She said that at a number of sites protected by the Secret Service, particularly outdoor venues, rangefinders are not prohibited.
"It is sometimes an item brought in by individuals who are going to be in the back of [the crowd]," she said.
It was not clear if any Secret Service agents confronted the shooter after learning he had a rangefinder, the director said.
Ms. Cheatle also said the gunman was identified as a suspicious person before former President Trump took the stage.
The former president was allowed to take the stage because there's a difference between a suspicious person and a threat, Ms. Cheatle told Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).
Rep. Turner Says FBI Director Was ‘Incensed’ by Secret Service Threat Assessment Level for Trump Rally
“He was incensed. He was shocked that the threat assessment of Iran did not seem to be, as we discussed, baked in to your security footprint and your threat assessment,” Mr. Turner said, citing committee members’ briefing on the investigation from the FBI last week.
Mr. Turner also referenced other comments made by Mr. Wray at recent hearings pointing to the crisis at the southern border as a national security threat that could lead to potential terrorist attacks.
Cheatle Doesn’t Say How Many Times Agency Declined Trump Requests
Under questioning from Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said that "there were no requests that were denied" at the Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
"A denial of a request does not equal a vulnerability ... threats can be mitigated" with technology and other resources, Ms. Cheatle said.
Mr. Jordan had made reference to a statement issued by Secret Service spokesman Anthony Gugliemi over the weekend that suggested the agency had denied the Trump campaign's requests for more Secret Service security, going back on an earlier statement that said such requests were never denied.
"I can tell you in general terms that the Secret Service is judicious with its requests," Ms. Cheatle said.
![U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is sworn in before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a campaign event in Pennsylvania, at the Capitol on July 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F07%2F22%2Fid5691549-Election_2024_Trump_Shooting_Congress_24204529845798-1200x799.jpg&w=1920&q=75)
U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is sworn in before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a campaign event in Pennsylvania, at the Capitol on July 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
Cheatle Confirms Shooter Was Identified by Rifle Serial Number
“It’s been reported that the shooter was not carrying a driver’s license or any form of identification,” Mr. Raskin noted. “They had no idea who he was, but then he was quickly identified, I think within 30 minutes, by using the serial number on the AR-15 under a tracing system that is now controversial.”
Asked to confirm if those reports were true, Ms. Cheatle replied: “That is my understanding, sir, yes.”
Cheatle Doesn’t Answer If Secret Service Had Anyone on Roof
Referencing the ongoing investigation, Ms. Cheatle did not answer that question. She also declined to say how many agents were assigned to former President Donald Trump for the event but did note that she thought it was “a sufficient number.”
She would not say whether the Secret Service deployed drones to secure the event.
The Federal Aviation Administration told The Epoch Times that the Secret Service did not request to use drones on that day.
Secret Service Director Admits ‘Significant Operational Failure’ in Trump Assassination Attempt
![Secret Service Director Admits ‘Significant Operational Failure’ in Trump Assassination Attempt](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F07%2F16%2Fid5687551-1p2p3p12p312p3p213ppKO.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is seen in a file photo. (Kamil Krzaczynski/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)
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Trump Says He Wasn’t Warned
In an interview over the weekend on Fox News, former President Trump said he was given no indication that law enforcement had identified a suspicious person when he took the stage in Pennsylvania. Some rallygoers said in interviews after the attempted assassination that they saw the gunman on the roof before the former president walked out onto the stage and had alerted law enforcement authorities on site.Cheatle on Secret Service’s ‘Most Significant Operational Failure’ in Decades
Offering the former president and other victims from that day her thoughts and condolences, Ms. Cheatle acknowledged that the Secret Service had failed in its mission to protect the nation’s leaders at the former president’s July 13 rally in Pennsylvania.
“As the director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse of our agency,” she said. “We are fully cooperating with ongoing investigations. We must learn what happened, and I will move heaven and earth to ensure that an incident like July 13 does not happen again.”
Oversight Hearing Kicks Off With Speaker Johnson Present
U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle will testify to the failings that allowed a would-be assassin to fire off several shots at a Pennsylvania rally, killing one attendee and injuring several others, including the former president.
Ahead of the hearing, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) revealed via social media that Ms. Cheatle did not provide the committee with her written testimony, as is customary. The congresswoman also noted that the director failed to provide audio recordings from the July 13 shooting and the names of those on the former president’s Secret Service detail, despite the committee’s requests for those materials.
Secret Service Director: ‘Eager to Cooperate’ With Independent Review
![Secret Service Director: ‘Eager to Cooperate’ With Independent Review](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F07%2F22%2Fid5691452-Cheatle-LSedit.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle speaks during a press conference at the Secret Service's Chicago Field Office in Chicago, on June 4 2024. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
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Preliminary Investigation
It’s still unclear how Mr. Crooks was able to remain on the roof just 400 feet away from his target.![Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) speaks during an interview with The Epoch Times at his office in the Hart Senate office building in Washington, on March 21, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F03%2F23%2Fid5613543-03212024-DSC08055-Ron-Johnson-600x400.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) speaks during an interview with The Epoch Times at his office in the Hart Senate office building in Washington, on March 21, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)
Risking Their Lives
The former president has not made direct comments about Ms. Cheatle but on multiple occasions has thanked Secret Service agents for their service. He praised the counter sniper and the agents around him for immediately acting to protect his life.![Eric Trump attends the 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wis., on July 15, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F07%2F15%2Fid5687010-07152024-DSC00118-RNC-2024-Eric-Trump-600x400.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
Eric Trump attends the 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wis., on July 15, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)
Live Special Coverage: Oversight of the Secret Service and the Trump Assassination Attempt
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Live Special Coverage: Trump Assassination Attempt Hearing (NTD)
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