Nine days after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, Florida Senator Rick Scott renewed his call for the Biden-Harris administration, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Secret Service (USSS), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to hold daily public press conferences.
Scott urged them to provide updates, answer questions about the incident, identify who is being held accountable, and explain measures being taken to prevent future occurrences.
Senator Rick Scott stated, “It has been over a week since the assassination attempt on President Trump, and we still have no answers. This is unacceptable. USSS Director Kimberly Cheatle must resign TODAY. The American people deserve transparency, and I am demanding daily updates from the Biden-Harris administration to address this massive failure.
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“I am deeply grateful for the Secret Service agents and law enforcement officers who risked their lives to protect President Trump following the shooting. They are heroes, but the leadership at DHS and USSS clearly failed. The security of our Republic is at stake. The Biden-Harris administration cannot wait until the investigation is complete to release details. I will continue to demand transparency and accountability from this administration. It needs to start today.”
U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testified before the U.S. House Oversight Committee on Monday regarding the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Cheatle revealed that the shooter had been identified as “suspicious” prior to the attack but largely avoided answering direct questions from both Democrats and Republicans during the hearing.
Cheatle sidestepped inquiries about whether a Secret Service agent was stationed on the roof from where the shot was fired and if the Trump campaign’s requests for increased security had been denied. “I’m not going to get into details of the day itself…” Cheatle stated, refusing to confirm whether drones were used by the Secret Service on the day of the shooting.
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However, she did acknowledge that the FBI informed the Secret Service that the shooter had used a drone.
When pressed to confirm media reports that the shooter had been flagged as suspicious before Trump took the stage, Cheatle admitted this was true. She clarified the distinction between a “threat” and someone deemed “suspicious,” the latter being a less serious designation that warrants investigation by the Secret Service.
Cheatle also mentioned she had spoken with the counter-sniper who neutralized the shooter but withheld further details. House Judiciary Chair Rep. James Jordan (R-Ky.) questioned Cheatle about previous requests from the Trump campaign for more protection, pointing to a Secret Service spokesperson’s statement that some of those requests had been denied.
Cheatle did not address these past denials but confirmed no requests were denied for the event in Butler County, Pennsylvania, where the assassination attempt occurred.
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The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, climbed a rooftop approximately 150 yards from Trump and shot him in the ear. Viral videos show rally attendees spotting Crooks with a gun and attempting to alert law enforcement before the shooting.
“The Secret Service has thousands of employees and a significant budget, but it has now become the face of incompetence,” said House Oversight Chair Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.).
Cheatle took “full responsibility” for the security failure but repeatedly cited the recentness of the incident as a reason for not providing detailed answers, stating they are only “nine days out” from the shooting and that investigations are ongoing.
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