Republican senators confronted Secret Service Director Kimberly Chettle about Saturday’s assassination of former President Trump at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday, telling her they owed the people and the president “answers.”
The video shows Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and John Barrasso, R-Wyo., confronting Chettle in Milwaukee. Oklahoma Republican Sens. James Lankford and RN Kevin Cramer also weighed in.
As Chatel walked through the convention center, Barrasso could be heard yelling “obstruction” at her.
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Former President Trump survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. (Trump Campaign Office/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“This was an assassination attempt, and you owe the people an answer, and you owe President Trump an answer,” Blackburn said.
In another longer clip, senators can be seen questioning the conman. In response to their questions, she said it was not the right place for a discussion but that she would be happy to answer questions before leaving the suite. That’s when she was yelled at by lawmakers.
It comes as Republicans and some Democrats have fiercely criticized the agency over Saturday’s assassination of Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooter has been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, and the FBI is investigating his specific motives.
Trump was shot in the ear, one attendee died and two others were injured. As details emerged of the gunman who was seen climbing the building, lawmakers questioned how the gunman was able to fire at such close range.
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This image shows Senators Marsha Blackburn and John Barrasso confronting Secret Service Director Kimberly Chettle. (@VoteMarsha/X)
FBI Director Christopher Wray held a full-member briefing in the House and Senate on Wednesday to discuss questions and concerns from lawmakers. Barrasso earlier told Fox News the meeting was “100 percent a briefing.”
Chatel has agreed to comply with a subpoena from House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer. She called the shooting “unacceptable” and “should never happen again.”
“The responsibility is on me,” she told ABC News. “I’m the director of the Secret Service and I need to make sure we’re conducting reviews and providing resources to our personnel as needed.”
But she was criticized for talking about “sloping roofs” that caused safety issues.
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“That building has a sloping roof at the highest point. So we looked at a safety factor, we didn’t want to put people on a sloping roof. So we decided to protect the building from the inside,” she said.
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Her answers so far have failed to satisfy many Republican lawmakers, including Barrasso and Blackburn.
“It is shocking that the Secret Service chief refused to answer our questions. This is one of the greatest security failures in the history of the agency. She can run, but she cannot hide. She is a failed leader and she needs to step down immediately. From her perspective,” Blackburn said in a statement.
Fox News’ Liz Elkind and Aisha Hasni contributed to this report.
