The credibility of the U.S. Secret Service had largely survived the partisan policies of the Obama-Biden administrations that even targeted the Trump Administration when it held power.
Today, its reputation is in tatters, and the appearance before Congress of Director Kimberly Cheatle on Monday did little to repair the damage. Cheatle resigned her position on Tuesday.
Cheatle failed to answer most basic and pertinent questions such as when the last security sweep was carried out prior to former President Donald Trump's July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
She also would not answer whether gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks carried the firearm to the rooftop or if it was already there before the assassination attempt on Trump.
“Director, your agency has a no fail mission, and on Saturday, July 13, your agency spectacularly failed. The failure resulted in the death of Corey Comperatore and serious injury of two other rally attendees,” Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs noted during Monday’s House Oversight Committee at a hearing.
Cheatle failed to provide answers to nearly all questions committee members asked of her on Monday, frustrating and angering even Democrat participants.
Biggs called on Cheatle to resign after accusing her of “stonewalling.”
“You should’ve come today ready to give us answers,” he said. “I call upon you to resign today. Today.”
Investigative journalist Julie Kelly noted in advance of Cheatle's testimony: "Boy do all the former fed/SOP defenders who claimed the armed raid of Mar-a-Lago posed no threat to anyone because the FBI 'coordinated' with the Secret Service look really f*cking stupid right now."
Said Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green who grilled Cheatle at the hearing: "Secret Service Director admits she has no detailed timeline of the attempted assassination of President Trump. It has been 9 days since this absolute failure by the Secret Service. This is unacceptable and a grave national security threat."
Cheatle did admit that there is no Secret Service policy on “sloped roofs.”
In an interview soon after the attempt on Trump's life, Cheatle claimed that Secret Service agents were not placed on the roof Crooks was perched on because the "sloped" roof made it unsafe.
“Does the Secret Service have written policy you can share with us about sloped roofs?” Texas Republican Rep. Pat Fallon asked during Monday’s hearing, to which Cheatle replied, “No.”
“So why did you act like there was one?” Fallon asked, to which Team Biden’s Secret Service director offered no reply.
“So, here’s the thing with the slopes,” Fallon continued. “You’re saying there’s a danger, a safety concern there, but the problem is, director, you put your counter snipers — on a roof that was steeper.”
“These are nothing but pathetic excuses, and they make no sense,” the congressman asserted. “All the law enforcement I’ve spoken with for the last nine days are amazed that the rooftop was not secured.”
Fallon went on to tell Cheatle: “You should be fired immediately and go back to guarding Doritos.”
Before being nominated as Secret Service director by Joe Biden in 2022, Cheatle headed up security for PepsiCo.
Meanwhile data trackers, independent investigative journalists and others continued to provide new background information on the assassination attempt even as federal agencies ducked questions about an "active investigation."
The would-be Trump assassin just happened to use the same range as local DHS agents and other feds?
Just spitballing here, but I bet that provided great cover and camouflage for any feds who wanted to talk to the shooter or prod him to take matters into his own hands. https://t.co/X4btWK7c56 — Sean Davis (@seanmdav) July 22, 2024
Fiery exchange with Congressman Pat Fallon of Texas.pic.twitter.com/8G8pYyXWeB
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) July 22, 2024
Nancy Mace has questions. This is probably the best clip so far from the Secret Service hearing with Kim Cheatle.pic.twitter.com/RvHKpcrklg
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) July 22, 2024
President Trump's head was almost taken off his shoulders. Secret Service Director Cheatle is about the most unqualified, least remorseful person I've ever met. pic.twitter.com/saC37uMFdb
— Rep. Tim Burchett (@RepTimBurchett) July 22, 2024
This is a disgrace. The Secret Service Director is an embarrassment to this country. She’s going to get someone else hurt.
— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) July 22, 2024
Congress should hold Cheatle in contempt today and order the Sergeant of Arms to take her into custody.
This is an abomination and simply cannot be tolerated. She allowed the president to be shot in the head, lied about it for a week and is now stonewalling Congress. — Sean Davis (@seanmdav) July 22, 2024
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