“We failed,” Cheatle said. “As Director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security breaches.”he added before a House of Representatives committee, amid criticism for possible errors and calls for his resignation.
Cheatle noted that the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump, who was slightly wounded in the ear, was “the most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades.”
Gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, shot Trump with an AR-style rifle minutes after the former Republican president and current presidential candidate began a speech at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Crooks was killed by a Secret Service sniper 26 seconds after firing eight shots.
The investigation determined that Crooks, who lived in a town 50 miles from Butler, acted alone and could not identify any strong ideological or political motivation.
Firefighter Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed and two Trump supporters were seriously injured.
“This tragedy was preventable” and “in my view, Director Cheatle should resign,” said Republican Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer in opening the hearing.
The parliamentarian recalled that the Secret Service has the mission of protecting the leaders of the United States and of invited countries as well as safeguarding the American elections through the protection of candidates and nominees.
“The Secret Service has a flawless mission, but it failed on July 13 and in the days leading up to the rally,” added Comer, who said the service “has now become the face of incompetence.”
Source: Ambito
