Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) slammed the former U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle during a press conference Monday, calling it outrageous that she never visited the Pennsylvania rally site where former President Donald Trump was nearly assassinated in July.
Following the assassination attempt on Trump that occurred on July 13, and in response, the House voted to create a bipartisan task force just over a week later to investigate reports of Secret Service security lapses.
Read: Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz Intros Bipartisan Act To Crack Down On ‘Pay-To-Slay’ Policies
As the task force visited the rally site on Monday, Moskowitz expressed frustration with Cheatle’s lack of presence at the scene, highlighting how close the country came to a potential ‘American’ tragedy.
“Thank you for bringing us here today as Democrats and Republicans, as members of the task force, and as Americans,” Moskowitz said. “Seeing the proximity of the buildings, it’s outrageous that the former director of the Secret Service never came here to understand the situation. We’re working in a bipartisan effort to get to the bottom of what went wrong.”
As a former director of emergency management for Florida, Moskowitz emphasized the importance of learning from the incident. “We were inches away from an American catastrophe. Now, we need to determine what steps can be taken to ensure this never happens again.”
Read: Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz And Moskowitz Intros Resolution Honoring Corey Comperatore
US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on July 23 amidst criticism over security failures linked to the recent attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
Her decision to step down comes as lawmakers and an internal government watchdog launch investigations into the agency’s handling of Trump’s protection and the proximity of a gunman to the 2024 Republican presidential candidate during the Pennsylvania rally. Cheatle stated in her resignation letter that she made the “difficult” choice to leave the agency “with a heavy heart,” emphasizing her desire not to detract agents from their mission.
“In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have decided to resign as your Director,” Cheatle wrote, acknowledging shortcomings in the agency’s performance on the day of the shooting, July 13, when it “fell short” of its duty to safeguard national leaders.
President Joe Biden expressed appreciation for Cheatle’s years of public service in a statement, announcing plans to appoint a new director promptly.
“Leading with honor, courage, and utmost integrity, particularly in assuming full responsibility for an organization tasked with one of public service’s most challenging roles,” Biden remarked on Cheatle’s tenure.
Calls for Cheatle’s resignation from both sides of the aisle in Congress intensified following her appearance before the House Oversight Committee, where she faced criticism for evading many questions.
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