During a recent hearing before the House Oversight Committee, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle addressed concerns raised by Rep. Stephen Lynch regarding the response to the rally shooting incident involving former President Trump.
Rep. Lynch expressed his appreciation for the heroism displayed by the Secret Service agents who acted swiftly to protect the president when the shooting occurred. However, he also questioned the protocol followed during the incident, noting that the president remained exposed on the podium for over a minute after the shooting began.
In her testimony, Cheatle explained that the agents identified the shooting within three seconds and immediately threw themselves on top of the president to shield him from further harm. She emphasized that the personnel created a body bunker to protect the president from the shooter, who was armed with an AR-15 style weapon.
Rep. Lynch highlighted the potential danger posed by the high-capacity weapon used by the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, and raised concerns about the prolonged exposure of the president during the incident.
The hearing shed light on the split-second decisions made by the Secret Service agents in a high-stress situation and the challenges they faced in ensuring the safety of the president. Cheatle's testimony underscored the quick and decisive actions taken by the agents to protect the president from harm.
