Senators See Secret Service Chief At RNC, Demand Answers For Trump Rally Security Lapses

At the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, a tense exchange took place between U.S. Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle and Republican Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and John Barrasso (R-WY). The senators demanded explanations for the security breaches that led to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer had earlier subpoenaed Cheatle for a hearing scheduled on July 22 to address the security failures. Fox News’ Aishah Hasnie reported that Cheatle was in a “luxury suite” at the convention when Blackburn and Barrasso confronted her, demanding immediate answers.

Secret Service snipers spotted the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, on a rooftop 20 minutes before Trump took the stage, according to ABC News. However, Cheatle did not provide a satisfactory response when Barrasso questioned why Trump was exposed to danger.

Sen. Blackburn accused Cheatle of failing to act on information about the threat an hour before the rally. Cheatle responded, “I don’t think that this is the forum to have this discussion,” which prompted an angry reaction from the senators. Barrasso insisted on finding a place to discuss the matter immediately, while Blackburn criticized Cheatle for stonewalling and stressed the seriousness of the incident by shouting, “This was an assassination attempt! You owe the people answers! You owe President Trump answers!”

In a CNN interview, Cheatle admitted that the Secret Service was solely responsible for the security at Trump’s rally. “The buck stops with me. I am the director of the Secret Service, and I need to make sure that we are performing a review and that we are giving resources to our personnel as necessary,” she said. “It was unacceptable and it’s something that shouldn’t happen again.”

Trump was shot in the ear during the rally in Butler County, resulting in minor injuries for him. However, the attack had tragic consequences, with one attendee killed and two others injured, including a man who was put in a medically induced coma due to severe wounds. The confrontation at the convention highlights the growing concerns over the effectiveness of the Secret Service’s protective measures for high-profile political figures.