Two Republican senators faced off this week against the director of the Secret Service over the recent attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, who on Thursday accepted the GOP’s nomination for president in the coming election.
Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and John Barrasso (R-WY) confronted embattled Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle outside of some Fiserv convention center suites on the third night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
After the exchange, Blackburn said to The Dallas Express, “It is appalling that the Secret Service Director 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 immediately step down from her position.”
In a widely shared video shot from a balcony above the convention floor, Blackburn and Barrasso confront Cheatle.
BREAKING: Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle gets cornered by US Senators demanding answers on why she wanted Trump murdered. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and other prominent senators can be seen in this
Do not let up guys. We can't let them get away with what they did on July… pic.twitter.com/3i11u0tjC3
— George (@BehizyTweets) July 18, 2024
“We spoke to you on the phone today, we were very disappointed with you. We were trying to answer questions [inaudible]… every one of us had questions, we didn’t get any of the responses that were necessary from you,” Barrasso tells Cheatle.
Barrasso was referring to a call members of Congress had with Cheatle, where numerous legislators expressed frustration with the Secret Service’s alleged evasiveness and lack of transparency about what allowed the attempted assassination of Trump and the killing and wounding of several spectators at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“Either resign tonight or start answering our questions right now,” Barrasso adds.
“Nearly an hour out, you have a suspicious person, and at 5:51… [Secret Service is told the suspicious person is on the roof of a nearby building, so] why would anyone allow the president to go on stage when you know you’ve got a potential threat?” Blackburn follows up, referencing the fact that snipers allegedly had around 20 minutes to neutralize the would-be assassin before he took his shot.
“I don’t think this is the forum to have this discussion,” Cheatle says.
“Oh yes it is,” Blackburn responds before Barrasso interjects, “You hung up on us!”
For a moment, Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) can be seen with Cheatle, Blackburn, and Barrasso; however, the sound of the convention drowns out much of what he says to Cheatle and her response.
The director attempts to leave, but she is pursued by Blackburn, Barrasso, and others. During her flight, Cheatle refuses every question from the senators.
Blackburn and Barrasso continue to pepper Cheatle with statements and questions as they follow her throughout the building.
“This was an assassination attempt, you owe the people answers, you owe President Trump answers,” the junior senator from Tennessee says.
“Stonewalling, do you give nothing?” Barrasso asks.
Another senator, Kevin Cramer (R-ND), exclaims, “You answer to us!”
After walking through a lounge area, Cheatle escapes through a door, and the Secret Service cuts off the senators’ pursuit by obstructing access to the doorway.
The Dallas Express asked Sen. Cramer if he concurred with Blackburn’s statement, to which he replied, “Yes.”
When asked by DX if he believed the Secret Service was being transparent, he succinctly responded, “No.”
This exchange caught on camera is one of several that have come to define the Secret Service’s public image in recent days.
The agency refused to hold a press conference immediately after the 45th president was shot, and Cheatle has refused calls for her resignation.
Both the Secret Service Director and her superior agency, the Department of Homeland Security, which is overseen by Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, have appeared to coordinate in repeatedly dodging requests to appear before congressional oversight bodies.
Cheatle did not consistently agree to appear before Congress until the House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena.
A spokesperson for the Secret Service responded to DX‘s request for comment.
“Continuity of operations is paramount during a critical incident and U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has no intentions to step down,” Anthony Guglielmi told DX in a statement.
“She deeply respects members of Congress and is fiercely committed to transparency in leading the Secret Service through the internal investigation and strengthening the agency through lessons learned in these important internal and external reviews.”
https://x.com/yashar/status/1813757637584134615
