This article will be updated throughout the hearing.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is testifying before the House Oversight Committee Monday, following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Multiple lawmakers have called for Cheatle to resign after a gunman fired multiple shots at Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, 33 miles north of Pittsburgh, on July 13. A fireman, Corey Comperatore, died shielding his family, and two other rally attendees were injured.
Lawmakers, as expected, pressed Cheatle over the security failure during Monday’s 10 a.m. ET hearing.
Cheatle Should Resign ‘Today,’ Biggs Says
UPDATE, 11:55 a.m.: “Your agency has a no-fail mission, and on Saturday, July 13, your agency spectacularly failed,” Rep. Andy Biggs told Cheatle.
The Arizona Republican said it is “unfathomable that a 20-year-old on the radar of Secret Service and local law enforcement” was able to climb to the roof of a building and shoot the former president.
Cheatle refused to speak to “specifics of the event” when Biggs questioned her about the protective perimeter of the rally.
“This is a specific that you ought to know,” Biggs said. “As someone who said, ‘The buck stops with me. I’m going to stay at my job. I’m going to give the answers to the American people, and I know what happened’—except for you’re not going to tell the American people, and you yourself said in an interview that that foments this notion of conspiracy theories.”
Cheatle’s delays in answering questions “undermine your credibility,” Biggs told the director, who repeatedly said she didn’t have information at this time about the perimeter and when the last sweep of the roof was conducted before the July 13 rally.
Biggs called for Cheatle to resign immediately.
“You should have come today ready to give us answers,” the Arizona lawmaker said. “I call upon you to resign today. Today.”
Comparison to Reagan Shooting in 1981
UPDATE, 11:49 a.m.: “Would you agree that this is the most serious security lapse since President [Ronald] Reagan was shot in 1981, of the Secret Service?” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., asked.
“Yes, sir, I would,” Cheatle replied.
“Do you know what Stuart Knight did? He was in charge of the Secret Service. Do you know what he did afterward?” Khana asked.
Cheatled said, “He remained on duty.”
Khanna corrected her, “He resigned.”
Reagan was shot in March 1981 in a failed assassination attempt in Washington, D.C. Knight, who had been head of the Secret Service since 1973, resigned in November of 1981.
“I just don’t think this is partisan,” Khanna said. “If you have an assassination attempt on a president or a former president or a candidate, you need to resign. That’s what Stuart Knight did. … You cannot go on leading a Secret Service agency when there is an assassination attempt on a presidential candidate.”
He asked what was the difference between her and Knight.
“I am dedicated to finding the answers to what happened,” Cheatle responded. “Like every Secret Service agent, we don’t shirk from our responsibilities. I will remain on and be responsible to the agency, to this committee, to the former president and to the American public.”
Sessions Presses Cheatle for ‘Credible Answers’
UPDATE, 11:45 a.m.: “How long do we have to wait before you give us credible answers,” Rep. Pete Sessions asked Cheatle.
The Texas Republican said he doesn’t think Cheatle understands what happened.
“I’m not going to ask you to resign, but I am going to say that you have not given us confidence that you have the ability to understand what happened, to take the responsibility in terms of understanding,” he said.
Cheatle confirmed that no employees have been disciplined for the agency’s failure to protect Trump from the assassination attempt.
Sessions pressed Cheatle as to whether she has the ability to understand what went wrong and whether she knows what she’s doing. The congressman said her 28 years of experience with the Secret Service should have prepared her to explain what happened, adding that yet she dodges questions.
“If you’ve got this experience, then you should be able to say to us, ‘We know what we did wrong,’” he said. “‘It was a failure in our system, and we’re immediately making these corrections.’ That’s why you’re having a difficult time with this group of members of Congress, because we saw it, too. We’ve seen the things, but you are the 28-year expert.”
“That is why we think what you’re doing, the answers you’re giving us, are not correct,” the Texas lawmaker continued, “and you’re not using your professional expertise.”
Cheatle said the internal investigation should be completed in 60 days.
‘Very Troubling’: Cloud Questions Lack of Answers on Unprotected Roof
UPDATE, 11:30 a.m.: Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, said it’s “very, very troubling” that Cheatle came to the hearing with no answers on how the Secret Service allowed the shooter to get on the roof.
“I think it’s troubling for a lot of us that the No. 1 question everyone in America is wondering is, why was the roof left open? And after nine days, we should at least, maybe, have a little bit of that information,” Cloud said. “And when you come to this committee hearing, and you don’t have anything to say about that, it’s very, very troubling.”
Cloud asked Cheatle whether the assassination attempt occurring on her watch warrants her resignation.
“The thing that you’ve said so far is that you want to make sure that this never happens again,” Cloud said. “The thing is, everyone in America knows that’s not the job description that you’re tasked with. The job description you’re tasked with is to make sure it never happens, period.”
Cheatle did not directly answer Cloud’s question about whether Trump’s team was notified of a suspicious person on the roof.
“We are going back and looking to make sure that we have the exact information of when those notifications were made and who those notifications were made to,” Cheatle replied.
The director said she doesn’t personally review security plans for events across the country.
Cloud said Cheatle gave a “lame excuse” about the sloped roof preventing an agent from guarding it.
“You said that local law enforcement’s job was to cover up the building before backtracking on that,” he said. “We were told that President Trump’s team did not ask for security before you backtracked on that. You haven’t provided the audio recording that this committee chairman requested that was due Thursday. You didn’t give us an advanced copy of your opening statement, but yet, there was reporting on it somewhere else.”
“And it begs the question to anyone: You’re in charge of the investigation of your own failure,” he asked. “So, how is anybody in America supposed to be able to trust the results of that investigation as being anything transparent and genuine?”
Cheatle defended herself, saying she follows the Secret Service’s values of “duty, justice, honor, loyalty, and courage.”
Suspicious Behavior or Threat? Illinois Democrat Grills Cheatle on Timeline
UPDATE, 11:20 a.m.: “Director Cheatle, as you know, the shooter began shooting at 6:11 p.m. [Eastern Time] on July 13th. NBC reported that at 5:51 p.m., 20 minutes before the shooting began, the state police informed the Secret Service of their concern, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., “Now the rally was not paused at that point. Correct?”
“No,” Cheatle answered.
“And according to NBC, just two minutes later, at 5:53 p.m., the Secret Service notified its snipers about the gunman. The rally wasn’t paused at that point, either, correct?” the Illinois lawmaker asked.
“No,” the head of the Secret service responded.
Krishnamoorthi then played a short video of a man seen on the roof close to the rally and a woman who can be heard shouting “on the roof!” Krishnamoorthi said the video was taken two minutes before the assassination attempt.
“Ma’am, that doesn’t look like suspicious behavior. That looks like threatening behavior to me,” Krishnamoorthi said in reference to the video. “And the rally wasn’t paused at that point either, correct?”
“I can tell you … that the moment that the shift surrounding the president were aware of an actual threat,” Cheatle began before the Illinois Democrat cut her off.
“That’s a threat right there,” Krishnamoorthi said. “The guy’s on the roof, and everybody’s yelling at him.”
“The rally was not paused at that point, correct?” the congressman asked.
“We are currently still combing through communications and when communications were passed,” she said.
‘Best Person to Lead the Secret Service’
UPDATE, 11:15 a.m.: When talking about herself, Cheatle gave the most specific responses of the hearing.
Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., referenced news reports that Cheatle was promoted by first lady Jill Biden’s top adviser Anthony Bernal, and others in the Biden orbit.
“I would like to explore how you got the job as director of the United States Secret Service,” Foxx asked. “Is it typical for the director of the Secret Service to be recommended for the role at the behest of a president’s family and senior staff? Perhaps at the behest of Jill Biden or Anthony Bernal?”
The director defended her status.
“I got the job as director of the Secret Service because I spent 27 years at an agency with a mission that I absolutely love,” she said. “I started my career in Detroit. I worked my way up through investigations and protection.”
Foxx followed, “Was there competition for the position?”
Cheatle said, “You would have to ask those who were involved in the interview process.”
After Foxx asked if she was the right person, Cheatle replied, “I think I am the best person to lead the Secret Service at this time.”
Rep. Mike Turner Calls for Biden to Fire Cheatle
Update, 11:07 a.m.: Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, called for Biden to fire Cheatle for failing to protect Trump from threats.
“Not only should you resign, [but] if you refuse to do so,” Turner said, “President Biden needs to fire you, because his life, Donald Trump’s life, and all the other people which you protect are at risk because you have no concept of the aspect that the security footprint needs to be correlated to the threat.”
Because Trump is alive, Cheatle looks “incompetent,” Turner said.
“If Donald Trump had been killed, you would have looked culpable,” the Ohio lawmaker said. “There is no aspect of this that indicates that there has been any protection of Donald Trump.”
Turner pressed Cheatle about whether the Secret Service responded to the threats on Trump’s life from Iran.
When the Secret Service director said she thinks the agency sufficiently responded to the
Iranian threat, Turner asked, “Is an Iranian assassin more capable than a 20-year-old?”
Rep. Jim Jordan Accuses Cheatle of ‘Cutting Corners’
Update, 11:00 a.m.: Rep. Jim Jordan accused Cheatle of “cutting corners” when it came to Trump’s security detail. The Ohio Republican pressed her on whether the Secret Service had denied requests from the Trump campaign for additional security personnel.
Cheatle told Jordan that “when details make a request, there are times that there are alternate ways to cover off on that threat or that risk.”
On July 14, the day after the shooting, Anthony Guglielmi, the Secret Service chief of communications, said it was “an untrue assertion that a member of the former president’s team requested additional security resources and that those were rebuffed.”
Cheatle also told Jordan that there were no denied requests for the Butler, Pa., rally.
“Well, maybe they got tired of asking,” Jordan responded. “Maybe you turned them down so darn much they said, ‘not worth asking.’ How many times did you turn them down ahead of that?
The director did not answer Jordan directly.
“It looks like you got a 9% raise, and you cut corners when it came to protecting one of the most important individuals, most well-known individuals on the planet, a former president, likely the guy who’s going to be the next president. Looks like you guys were cutting corners. That’s what it looks like to me,” Jordan said.
“Is that true?”
“I am here today because I want to answer questions,” Cheatle responded, “but I also want to be cautious.”
“You might want to, but you have not answered. I don’t think you’ve answered one question from the chairman, the ranking member, or me,” Jordan shot back.
Cheatle Says No Requests From Trump Team Denied for Butler Rally
Update, 10:53 a.m.: The Secret Service is investigating how a shooter could get past the Secret Service to shoot a former president and presidential candidate, Cheatle said.
“How can a 20 year old with his father’s AR-15 assault weapon climb onto a roof with a direct 150-yard line of sight to the speaker’s podium without the Secret Service or local police stopping him?” Rep. Jamie Raskin asked.
“So again, sir, I will say, we are nine days out from this event,” Cheatle said, “and I would like to know those answers as well, which is why we are going through these investigations, to be able to determine that fully.”
Cheatle again accepted responsibility for the “tragedy.”
“We are going to look into how this happened,” she said, “and we are going to take corrective action to ensure that it never happens again.”
Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the committee, asked Cheatle if she denied the Trump campaign’s request for additional protective resources.
“There were no assets denied for that event in Butler on the thirteenth,” Cheatle responded.
She said requests from Trump’s campaign staff “were granted.”
The Secret Service did not know the gunman had a weapon before Trump took the stage, Cheatle confirmed.
Comer Grills Cheatle About Why No Secret Service on the Roof
Update, 10:45 a.m.: Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said, “There had been reports that agents were supposed to be on the roof, but it was hot that day and they didn’t want to be on the roof.”
Cheatle replied, “What I can tell you is that there was a plan in place to provide overwatch, and we are still looking into responsibilities and who was going to provide overwatch. The Secret Service in general—not speaking specifically to this incident—when we are providing overwatch—whether that be through counter snipers or other technology, prefer to have sterile rooftops.”
Comer followed up, asking if the Secret Service used any drones.
“I’m not going to get into specifics of that day,” the director responded. “There are times during a security plan when the Secret Service does deploy an asset like a drone.”
Comer noted reports that the shoot deployed a drone before the rally.
“I am waiting for the final report,” Cheatle said.
“Do you know–I’m not asking yes or no–but do you know if the shooter used a drone before the shooting?” Comer asked.
Still inconclusive, Cheatle replied, “That information has been passed to us from the FBI.”
She did not “get into specifics” when asked how many agents were assigned to Trump’s detail at the rally.
“We feel there was a sufficient number of agents assigned,” she said.
“There were reports that several agents assigned to the rally on July 13 were temporary agents—agents not normally assigned to President Trump. Is that accurate?” Comer asked.
“The agents that were assigned to President Trump are Secret Service agents that provide close protection to him,” she said.
Comer went on to ask, “Before July 13, had the Trump detail requested additional resources?”
“For the event on July 13, the detail, the assets that were requested for that day were given,” she said.
Cheatle Takes ‘Full Responsibility’
Update, 10:40 a.m.: The assassination attempt on Trump was the “most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades,” Cheatle said during her opening remarks.
“The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders. On July 13th, we failed,” Cheatle said, adding, “I take full responsibility for any security lapse of our agency.”
Cheatle also offered her condolences to the family of Corey Comperatore, a fire chief who died shielding his wife and daughter from sniper fire.
“We must learn what happened and I will move heaven and earth to ensure that an incident like July 13th does not happen again,” the Secret Service director told Congress.
Cheatle defended the law enforcement on the ground at the rally the day of the assassination, noting that the Secret Service can’t do “our job without them.” She also praised the Secret Service agents who shielded Trump “with their own bodies” while shots were being fired.
“We will not rest until we have explored every option and we will leave no stone unturned,” Cheatle said, referring to the investigation into the security failures that led to the assassination attempt on Trump.
Secret Service Now ‘Face of Incompetence’
Update, 10:30 a.m.: The Secret Service has become the “face of incompetence” after failing to protect former President Donald Trump from an assassination attempt, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said Monday.
“The Secret Service’s protective mission is to protect us and visiting world leaders and safeguard U.S. elections through protection of candidates and nominees,” said Comer, who is chair of the House Oversight Committee. “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.”
The assassination attempt was preventable, according to Comer.
“While we give overwhelming thanks to the individual Secret Service agents who did their jobs under immense pressure,” Comer said, “this tragedy was preventable.”
Comer said the committee is concerned the Secret Service “lacks the proper management to keep protectees safe from bad actors.”
“Americans demand accountability,” he said, “but no one is yet to be fired for this historic failure.”
The hearing will provide the Americans with answers about the assassination attempt, Comer said.
“We will ask these questions because the Secret Service and its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, have been unwilling to provide answers to the American people,” Comer said.
The Kentucky Republican called for Cheatle to resign. Comer said the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security has dodged the committee’s questions on the assassination attempt.
“The DHS has sought to push this hearing to a different time,” he said. “The Secret Service has suggested the hearing occur without media presence, and both agencies have provided only shallow explanations to Congress about what happened on July 13.”
“It shouldn’t take this much time or preparation for Director Cheatle to tell the truth and to be transparent with the American people,” he continued.
Raskin Pushes Gun Control, Takes Aim at AR-15
Update, 10:26 a.m: Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., made a push for gun control during his opening remarks, as Democrat lawmakers frequently do after shooting.
Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the committee, specifically went after the AR-15, which the would-be assassin used from the rooftop.
“Some are calling it a miracle that President Trump escaped this AR-15 attack unlike so many thousands of citizens who have been killed or seriously wounded in other AR-15 shootings,” Raskin said.
Raskin said America had 655 mass shootings in 2023, which is defined as at least four people being shot during an incident.
“What happened in Butler, Pennsylvania was a double failure, the failure of the Secret Service to properly protect President Trump, and the failure of Congress to properly protect our people from criminal gun violence,” Raskin said.
“We must therefore ask hard questions about whether our laws are making it too easy for potential assassins to obtain firearms generally and the AR-15 specifically,” Raskin said.
