Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle faced bipartisan condemnation during her testimony before the House Oversight Committee regarding the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The committee criticized Cheatle for failing to prevent the incident and questioned her capability to lead the agency.
Chairman James Comer (R-KY) opened the hearing by criticizing Cheatle’s leadership, citing the “catastrophic” security failure. Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) also expressed disappointment, using the opportunity to push for stricter firearm regulations, though he did not specify which laws might have prevented the attack.
In her testimony, Cheatle described the July 13 incident as the “most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades” and accepted “full responsibility.” Despite acknowledging the severity of the failure, she refused to resign, citing the ongoing investigation as a reason for her continued leadership.
Throughout the hearing, Cheatle’s responses to questions about security protocols and the details of Trump’s protection were vague and uninformative. She repeatedly mentioned the ongoing investigation and the recent nature of the event as reasons for her lack of detailed answers, which only increased the committee’s frustration.
Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) remarked that Cheatle’s performance during the hearing made her appear “incompetent” and suggested that had Trump been killed, she would have been seen as “culpable.” The hearing concluded with Cheatle facing heightened scrutiny over her leadership and the agency’s preparedness to protect high-profile individuals.
