Presidential election 2024 LIVE — Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is hammered by lawmakers over Trump shooting

'Full of s***'

Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina lambasted Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle on Monday.

"You're full of s*** today. You're being completely dishonest," Mace said, after pressing Cheatle on whether the agency has fully cooperated with the House Oversight Committee.

"You're being dishonest or lying," the Republican continued.

"These are questions that the American people want answers to, and you're just, you're just dodging and talking around it in generalities.

She pointed out that Cheatle was subpoenaed to appear before the committee, claiming the director wouldn't "even answer the questions."

"We have asked you repeatedly to answer our questions. This isn't hard, these are not hard questions."

Taking responsibility

Amid Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle's testimony before Congress, she admitted the agency "failed."

She went on to take "full responsibility" for the security lapse that occurred at the Trump Pennsylvania Rally.

"On July 13th, we failed. As the Director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse," she said in her opening statement.

"As an agency, we are fully cooperating with the FBI’s investigation, the oversight you have initiated here, and conducting our own internal mission assurance review at my direction.

"Likewise, we will cooperate with the pending external review and the DHS Office of the Inspector General."

Later in the hearing, Cheatle admitted to Republican Representative Nancy Mace that the Secret Service's response to the assassination attempt on Trump was a "colossal failure."

Watch for key information on would-be Trump assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks

Disciplinary action

The Secret Service director was also pressed on whether members of the agency have been disciplined in relation to the assassination attempt.

"Have any employees been disciplined for their role in [the] Bulter, PA incident?” Republican Representative Pete Sessions from Texas asked.

“No sir, not at this time,” Cheatle responded.

“We are still in the process of interviewing people.”

Pressed for details

Throughout the hearing, Cheatle was repeatedly pressed on details surrounding the security preparation before the July 13 rally and the shooter himself.

Republican Representative Andy Biggs of Arizona continuously asked the Secret Service director about the exact security perimeter before the rally.

"Did the Technical Service Division determine what's going to the event perimeter?"

Cheatle deflected the question by saying the agency was still collecting reports and information.

Similarly, Biggs asked how the shooter was able to get a dangerous weapon on the roof so close to the stage.

She declined to provide any information.

How long will the investigation last?

Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle revealed Monday that the agency hopes to complete its internal investigation within two months.

"We are targeting to have that completed within 60 days," Cheatle told the House Oversight Committee.

Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York blasted the expected timetable saying it was "unacceptable" in light of the upcoming presidential election.

"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," she said.

Watch the dramatic moment Secret Service snipers take down would-be Trump assassin

Not stepping down

As Cheatle has faced calls to resign from her position in the Secret Service, the director remains confident in her ability to lead the agency.

“I think I am the best person to lead the Secret Service at this time,” she told the House Oversight Committee.

Both Democratic and Republican members of Congress have called on Cheatle to resign.

She has served in the Secret Service for nearly three decades.

Most serious security lapse in decades

Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle admitted that the assassination attempt against Donald Trump was the 'most serious security lapse' in decades.

Cheatle was pressed on the matter by Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California.

"Would you agree that this is the most serious security lapse in President Reagan was shot in 1981 Secret Service history," Khanna asked.

"Yes sir, I would," Cheatle responded.

Khanna went on to say he believes Cheatle should resign, as then-Secret Service director Stuart Knight did several months after the assassination attempt against Regan.

Who was Trump's security detail?

During the Monday hearing, Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle was pressed on the make up of former President Donald Trump's security detail.

She was asked by Wisconsin Representative Glenn Grothman who pointed to reports that claimed Trump's usual security detail was not present at the rally.

“The people that are assigned to his detail were working on that day,” Cheatle said, referring to July 13.

She also previously detailed that any requests for detail for the rally were granted.

History of Secret Service failures

As Cheatle has admitted mistakes were made by the Secret Service on July 13, it is not the first time the agency has come under fire from Congress for failures.

The House Oversight Committee published a 200-page report in 2015, describing the Secret Service as an agency "in crisis."

At the time, the document pointed to several security slip ups, including a 2014 incident when then President Barack Obama was allowed to be in an elevator with an armed guard that had a criminal history, according to the

The report also reportedly pointed to "systemic management," underfunding, inefficient hiring, and a lack of confidence among employees.

Reaction to the shooting

Secret Service response following the shooting

In her opening statement, Cheatle detailed several actions the Secret Service has taken since the shooting.

"Immediately following the assassination attempt, I directed the activation of my Crisis Center and assembled my executive team to begin surging more protective resources to the former President and to ensure the wellness of our people post incident, all while securing an active crime scene," she said.

"I immediately ordered a re-evaluation of the Republican National Convention security plan and increased the security posture in the National Capital Region for all permanent protectees and sites.

"At the same time, I initiated a mission assurance investigation within the agency.

She detailed that she has instructed her team to utilize all necessary resources to investigate the incident.

Cutting corners

Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle has been accused of "cutting corners" in protecting former President Donald Trump.

"You cut corners when it came to protecting one of the most important individuals, most well known individuals on the planet," Representative Jim Jordan said Monday.

"Likely the guy is going to be the next president," he said.

"Looks like you guys were cutting corners."

Questions unanswered

Throughout the Monday hearing, Cheatle declined to provide detail on several key questions regarding the Secret Service's response to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

She warned in her opening statement that she may be limited in her responses to protect highly sensitive information.

Some of the questions that remain include:

• Did the Secret Service ever have an agent on the roof where the shooter was located?
• How many times was the Trump campaign declined additional security detail?
• Why wasn't the shooter stopped when he was spotted?
• Why was he identified as a person of interest before the shooting?
• Were drones used by the Secret Service on the day of the rally?

Shooting threat assessment

During his line of questioning, Representative Jamie Raskin asked Cheatle on how severe the threat against former President Donald Trump was before he took the stage at the Pennsylvania rally.

He specifically pressed on why Trump was allowed to appear on the stage when law enforcement officers had been warned of a "suspicious" person at the rally.

“If the detail had been passed information that there was a threat, the detail would never have brought the former president out onto stage,” Cheatle said.

“That is what we do, and that is who we are.”

She explained that when assessing situations, the Secret Service considers "suspicious" individuals to be different from those that pose a real threat.

"There are a number of times at protective events where suspicious people are identified, and those individuals have to be investigated," Cheatle said.

Conversations with agents on the ground

In his line of questioning, Representative Jim Jordan asked Cheatle if she had spoken with the Secret Service sniper that returned fire at the rally shooter, neutralizing him immediately.

Cheatle confirmed that she has but declined to detail that conversation.

"I would not want to reveal conversations that I've had with employees," she said.

Jordan snapped back saying that information is exactly what the "American people want to know."

"American people who pay your salary," the Ohio Republican said.

Hammered on detail requests

Ohio Representative Jim Jordan opened his line of questioning by directly asking Cheatle if he was "guessing" or "lying" about whether the Secret Service declined to give the Trump campaign additional detail.

Cheatle repeatedly insisted that the Secret Service did not deny the Trump campaign any detail request for the July 13 rally.

However, Jordan pointed to reports that cited top officials who said the campaign was denied "some" requests for additional detail.

"How many times did you tell them no? And what did you tell them no?" the Republican asked.

Cheatle declined to provide any specifics.

"The fact that you can't answer how many times you did that, that's pretty darn frustrating, not just for me, for the country," Jordan said.

Defense of Secret Service response

During her opening remarks, Cheatle touted the Secret Service's response to the shocking shooting.

"Our special agents shielded former President Trump their own bodies while shots were being fired, selflessly willing to make the ultimate sacrifice without hesitation," she said.

“I am proud beyond words of the actions taken by the former president’s detail, the counter-sniper team that neutralized the gunman, and the tactical team that provided cover during the evacuation."

What went down on July 13?

'Sufficient' agents assigned

When pressed directly on the Secret Service detail assigned to Trump during the Butler rally, Cheatle declined to provide detailed specifics.

However, she said the agency felt there was a "sufficient number of agents assigned."

She was also asked whether the Trump campaign had requested additional detail for the rally.

Cheatle said that the assets request for July 13 were given to the campaign.

Additionally, the Secret Service director said no security asset requests were denied to the campaign for the event.

'No stone unturned'

In her opening statement, Cheatle affirmed that the Secret Service is fully cooperating with ongoing investigations into their response to the shooting.

As she admitted things could have gone differently, Cheatle said she is not waiting for investigations to complete to make changes to the agency.

Cheatle said she "will not rest" until all options are explored.

"We will leave no stone unturned," she said.

Opening Statement

The Secret Service director began her opening remarks around 10:20 am.

She started out offering her condolences and well wishes to the victims of the shooting, including firefighter Corey Comperatore who died.

She admitted that the assassination attempt was the "most operational failure of the Secret Service."

"I will move heaven and earth to ensure that an incident like July 13 never happens again," Cheatle said.

Bipartisan inquiry

The House Oversight Committee is chaired by Republican Representative James Comer from Kentucky.

The ranking member is Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin from Maryland.

Members on both sides of aisle have called for further investigation into the Secret Service's response to the assassination attempt as well as the shooter himself.

Who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump?