Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle called the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump the agency’s “most significant operational failure” in decades.
Cheatle appeared in front of lawmakers on Monday for a Congressional hearing on the assassination attempt.
The big picture: Cheatle took full responsibility for the agency’s missteps related to the attack at Trump’s Pennsylvania rally on July 13.
- Lawmakers expressed anger over the gunman’s ability to get close to the president despite security measures.
Driving the news: Calls have been made for Cheatle to resign, but she does not intend to step down and retains the support of President Joe Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
- The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, had no clear ideological motive for his actions and had searched for information on Trump, Biden, and other government officials prior to the incident.
What she said: “On July 13, we failed,” Cheatle told lawmakers.
