U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Chettle testified for hours on Capitol Hill on Monday, facing questioning from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle over security breaches at the agency that led to an assassination attempt on former President Trump.
Chartel subpoenaed her to testify before the House Oversight Committee, led by Chairman James Comer, R-Ky.
represent. Mace calls ‘bull’ response to Secret Service Director Chittle
Chittle testified before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, just over a week after would-be assassin Thomas Crooks tried to kill Trump at a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Trump turned his head slightly during the rally and missed the shot from Crooks’ AR-15-style rifle, 20, by just a quarter of an inch. The bullet hit his upper right ear.
U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee during a hearing in the House Office Building in Rayburn, Washington, DC, July 22, 2024. Chatter vowed to cooperate with all the agency’s investigations following the assassination of former President Donald Trump. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Firefighter, father and husband Corey Comperatore was killed by bullets while protecting his family from gunfire, and two others were also seriously injured.
Cheatle admitted under oath that the Secret Service “on July 13th, we failed.”
Here are five key moments from the highly anticipated hearing:
Cheatle admits Secret Service ‘failed’ on July 13
“On July 13, we failed in our handling of the assassination attempt on the former president and the shooting at the Butler rally in Pennsylvania,” Chatel told the House Oversight Committee.
“As Director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapses at our agency,” she continued.
“We have to understand what happened, and I will do everything in my power to make sure an incident like July 13 never happens again,” Cheatle also said. “Our agents, officers and support personnel understand that we need to sacrifice our lives every day to execute missions without failure.”
Democrats and Republicans call on Chatter to resign
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., called on Charter and other Republican lawmakers to resign.
But Democrats have also called for her resignation, including Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who said: “If you are trying to assassinate a president, a former president or a candidate, you need to resign.”
Chatel insisted she would not resign and said she was committed to finding answers to the massive security failures for the American people.
Timeline: Trump assassination attempts
Rep. Greg Staub, R-Fla., said he plans to introduce articles of impeachment against her.
“Given Kimberly Chettle’s unacceptable handling of the Trump assassination attempt, her disastrous appearance before the House Oversight Committee today, and her refusal to resign, we No choice but to impeach. “Articles of impeachment against Kimberly Chettle will be filed this afternoon. “
U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle speaks before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on U.S. Secret Service oversight and the assassination of President Donald J. Trump, Monday, July 22, 2024, on Capitol Hill He resigned after testifying at the hearing. (AP Photo/Rod Rumkey Jr.)
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., accused Chettle of perjury herself and of obstructing members of the House Oversight Committee, telling her proteges to “sit back and wait” while she was in charge.
Rep. Nancy Mace says ‘bull’ response to scammers
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace told Secret Service Director Kimberly Chettle on Monday that she had “no idea” what to say in her opening statement today at a House Oversight Committee hearing on the Trump rally shooting. Leaked to media outlets.
The South Carolina congressman’s fiery remarks came after Mace directed Chartel to answer a series of yes-or-no questions about the Secret Service’s response to the assassination of former President Trump in Pennsylvania, in which Chartel said: “yes”.
“Do you think leaking the opening statement to Punchbowl News, Politico’s Playbook and the Washington Post hours before it was sent to this committee was politically motivated? Yes or no?” Mays asked Chettle.
“I don’t know how my statement got out,” Chettle responded.
Rep. Nancy Mace said Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle was “full of nonsense” during a House hearing on Monday, July 22, 2024. (Associated Press)
Mays shot back: “That’s bull—”
Mace began referring to news articles published between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. ET, about three to four hours before she said the House Oversight Committee received Cheatle’s statement.
Mace then asked Cheatle: “Did you provide the committee with all audio and video records in your possession as we requested on July 15? Yes or no?”
Secret Service chief admits: ‘We failed’ – but won’t resign
“I have to get back to you,” Chettle said.
“That’s a no. You were full of … today. You were completely dishonest,” Mace told Chittle before being interrupted by calls for decorum inside a hearing room in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill.
Chatel couldn’t answer how many additional security requests the Trump team had requested.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Chettle said Monday that “no request from former President Trump’s team for an event in Butler has been denied.”
“They ask for additional help in some form. You tell them no. How many times do you tell them no? What do you tell them not to do?” Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, quoted Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guile Ask Cheatle for comments from Anthony Guglielmi.
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump leaves the stage during a campaign rally on Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“What I can tell you is, generally speaking, when people ask for details, sometimes there are other ways to cover up that threat or that report,” Chittle responded.
Charter tells House Oversight Committee she called Trump to apologize after shooting
Chatel testified Monday that she called former President Trump to apologize after the shooting.
She also sought to explain to the committee that her agency was not aware of a suspected threat during the rally, despite members of the public pointing to a man on a rooftop minutes before former President Trump was shot.
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However, she stressed that the Secret Service and “those responsible for protecting the president that day would never take the former president out” if a threat was detected.
Trump said in a “Jesse Waters Primetime” interview that aired Monday night that Chatter visited him in the days after the assassination attempt.
“It went very well. I thought she was very nice. But, you know, someone should have made sure there was no one on the roof,” he said.
Fox News’ Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.
