Trump Assassination Attempt ‘Most Significant’ Security Failure In Decades, Secret Service Boss Confesses
Kimberly Cheatle was pressed by the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on the Secret Service failures at the Trump rally shooting.
July 22 2024, Published 3:12 p.m. ET
Kimberly Cheatle, the Director of the Secret Service, admitted that the attempted assassination of ex-president Donald Trump was the "most significant operational failure" by the security agency in decades.
Since 20-year-old would-be Trump assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally, GOP lawmakers and Trump supporters alike have demanded answers from Cheatle and scrutinized the actions of her agents.
Cheatle appeared before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee to answer for the Secret Service failures at the Trump rally.
When Cheatle appeared before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Monday to answer questions regarding the attempted assassination, she simply admitted: "We failed."
The Secret Service director also took "full responsibility for any security lapse" at the Trump rally.
Crooks was able to fire towards the ex-president, killing one attendee, before law enforcement killed him.
Cheatle testified: "We failed. As the director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse.
"The assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump on 13 July is the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades."
At the outdoor Pennsylvania rally, Crooks, who was seen lurking around the security perimeter an hour before the shooting, managed to scale a nearby building and fire an AR-15-style rifle, killing one attendee and nearly missing the Republican nominee.
While law enforcement agents killed the shooter, critics have raised questions on how Crooks was able to scale a nearby building and take aim at the ex-president in the first place – especially after he was flagged by security for carrying a rangefinder into the event.
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Thomas Matthew Crooks has been described as ‘a ghost who kept to himself’.
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At the hearing, Cheatle addressed initial concerns regarding Crooks and revealed security was warned about him "between two and five times" before shots rang out.
Cheatle noted: "The level of security provided for the former president increased well before the campaign and has been steadily increasing as threats evolve."
"Our mission is not political. It is literally a matter of life and death."
Cheatle admitted the attempted assassination was the 'most significant operational failure' by the agency in decades.
Cheatle refused to answer bi-partisan questions regarding the rally's security optics, citing the active investigation. She did admit that Crooks had been identified as a suspicious person; however, because he was not confirmed to be a threat, the event was allowed to proceed forward as scheduled.
Cheatle said: "If the detail had been passed, information that there was a threat, the detail would never have brought the former president on to the stage."
Despite ongoing criticism of her leadership and calls to resign in the wake of the attempted assassination, Cheatle pushed back and insisted she was the right person for the job.
Cheatle added: "I think that I am the best person to lead the Secret Service at this time."