Texas Republican Rep. Pat Fallon came to a hearing of the House Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump on Thursday ready to accuse the head of the Secret Service of interfering with the protection of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for a photo opportunity that would help his career.
The resulting exchange between Fallon and Acting Director Ronald Rowe Jr. added an unexpectedly heated punctuation mark on the final day of public action for a panel that has focused on overhauls of Secret Service and its protection protocols.
Fallon brought a poster board with a screen capture from C-SPAN footage of this year’s ceremony to mark the anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack in New York City. It was centered on Biden and Harris, with Rowe’s face circled right behind them among a crowd of other dignitaries in attendance.
Fallon then asked Rowe which member of the Secret Service should be closest to the politicians who need protection.
Rowe responded that the closest person is the special agent in charge of the detail, referred to in shorthand as the SAC. Then Fallon asked if Rowe was the special agent in charge of the detail that day.
That prompted Rowe to ask staffers to leave up Fallon’s poster board.
“Actually, congressman, what you’re not seeing is the SAC of the detail off, out of the picture’s view. And that is the day where we remember the more than 3,000 people that have died on 9/11,” Rowe said. “I actually responded to Ground Zero. I was there going through the ashes of the World Trade Center. I was there at Fresh Kills.”
After that reference to the landfill that stored Ground Zero debris, a shouting match broke out with the two men talking at the same time.
Fallon interrupted to say, “I’m asking you that, I’m asking you if you were the special agent in charge? You were not.”
Rowe said, “I was there to show respect for a Secret Service member that died on 9/11.”
“Oh that’s a bunch of horse hockey,” Fallon said.
“Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes,” Rowe said.
“I’m not,” Fallon said. “Don’t try to bully me. I’m an elected member of Congress and I’m asking you a serious question and you’re playing politics.”
“And I am a public servant who has served this nation and spent time on our country’s darkest day,” Rowe said. “Do not politicize it.”
“I’m asking you serious questions for the American people,” Fallon said. “And they’re very simple they’re not trick questions. Were you the special agent in charge that day?”
“No, I wasn’t,” Rowe said. “I was there representing the United States Secret Service, sir. It did not affect protective operations.”
That’s when Fallon revealed his full accusation that Rowe wanted face time in a push to be officially named director once President-elect Donald Trump took office.
“You know why you were there? Because you wanted to be visible because you are auditioning for this job that you’re not going to get come Jan. 20,” Fallon said.
“I was there to pay respect for a fallen member of this agency. You are out of line, congressman. You are out of line,” Rowe said.
“You endangered President Biden’s life, Vice President Harris’ life because you put those agents out of position. Did you have a radio with you? Did you have a weapon?” Fallon said.
“I did sir, and you are out of line,” Rowe replied.
A Secret Service spokesman, when asked to respond to the accusations, said Rowe was “invited to the September 11 Memorial Ceremony in New York this year to honor the victims of that tragic day, including the members of the Secret Service who were killed. All detail personnel were present and had complete access to their protectees during the memorial.”
After the hearing, Fallon told reporters that whistleblowers brought the photo to his attention. “I didn’t know about that on the 11th, and they’re the ones that told me that that’s a severe breach of protocol,” Fallon said.
Fallon said the special agent in charge was suddenly not where he’s supposed to be because Rowe told them to move down the line.
Fallon said the agents are “furious” and that he wanted to ask Rowe if he had attended the operational briefing that day, had a weapon, and had a radio. “These guys and gals work on routines and systems, and he interrupted that system. That’s why they’re so pissed about it,” Fallon said.
Rowe should have been there, Fallon said, “but not where he was. He didn’t need to interfere with the protection of the protection of the president, and he did.”
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