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Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle faced tough questioning from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, on Monday regarding the security failures surrounding the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. Since the assassination attempt on President Trump, shocking failures of the United States Secret Service have been revealed.
Cheatle admitted to the failures of the Secret Service in her testimony.
Jordan questioned Cheatle, demanding answers for the American people about how such an attack could happen under her watch.
Jordan raised several issues, one of which was the denial of the Trump campaign’s requests for additional security. The Ohio congressman quoted Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas as denying that the Trump campaign had made any such requests.
Jordan went on to point out the contradictions surrounding the response of the Secret Service and quoted The Washington Post report, stating “Top officials repeatedly rejected requests from Donald Trump’s security detail for additional personnel.”
“So which is it? Because both statements can’t be true.” Jordan asked Cheatle. “Were you guessing or lying when you said you didn’t turn down requests from President Trump’s detail?”
Cheatle limited her response specifically to the event in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the attempted assassination took place.
“For the event in Butler, there were no requests that were denied.”
“Well, maybe they got tired of asking,” responded Jordan. “Maybe you turned them down so darn much they said it’s not worth asking.”
Jordan continued by asking how many requests for additional security from the Trump campaign had been denied.
“A denial of a request does not equal a vulnerability,” responded Cheatle.
“Requests is plural.” said Jordan. “More than once they asked for additional help and you turned them down. What did they ask for and how many times did you turn them down are pretty basic questions.”
Cheatle responded by saying she did not have all of the details in front of her.
“You didn’t get briefed on how many times you turned down the Trump detail when they asked for additional help? You didn’t get briefed on that before you came to this hearing knowing you were going to get asked that question?”
Cheatle was still unable to answer Jordan’s question. Instead, she implied that the security needs had been met by alternative means.
“The fact that you can’t answer how many times you did that, that’s pretty darn frustrating not just for me but for the country.” said Jordan.
Cheatle claimed to take responsibility for the failures in her statement to the committee, but said she will not resign.
