The House Oversight Committee hearing regarding the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump has begun. US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is testifying before the committee as the agency remains under intense scrutiny after the shooting earlier this month at Trump’s campaign rally left the former president and two others injured, with one person killed.
In her prepared remarks, Cheatle is expected to tell lawmakers, “The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders. On July 13th, we failed. As the Director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse.” She further states that the agency “must learn what happened and I will move heaven and earth to ensure an incident like July 13th does not happen again.”
Cheatle will be questioned on how the Secret Service’s biggest failure in four decades occurred under her watch. The committee, chaired by Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky and with Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland as the ranking member, is seeking answers to this critical question.
In his opening statement, Comer called for Cheatle’s resignation, citing her refusal to step down despite the incident. The hearing is a crucial step in understanding the security breach and ensuring accountability within the Secret Service.
