Staff Reports
The ongoing saga surrounding the Secret Service and its beleaguered director, Kimberly Cheatle, took a dizzying turn as members of Congress ventured to Butler, Pennsylvania, to inspect the scene of the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. As Cheatle attempted to ward off scrutiny during a House Oversight Committee hearing, lawmakers were busy investigating the apparent security failures that allowed an attacker to fire shots at Trump during a rally, leaving one man dead and another two injured.
Among the congressional delegation was Rep. Michael McCaul from Texas, who took a moment to bask in the gravity of the situation while pointing out Cheatle’s absence from the crime scene. It seems that taking a leisurely trip to Pennsylvania to face thorny questions about the security lapses was not on Cheatle’s agenda. Instead, she opted to mingle at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, dodging inquiries from curious GOP lawmakers. One has to wonder if she thought it wise to skip the site where the U.S. president’s life was nearly taken, allowing instead for a raucous political event to take precedence.
Rep. Eli Crane, a former Navy SEAL sniper, made it abundantly clear that security measures were clearly overlooked, enabling the shooter an easy route to the rooftop—an egregious oversight that has members of Congress befuddled. With the apparent ease at which the assassin gained access, Crane’s comments highlight not only a potential lapse in protocol but raise eyebrows about what constitutes adequate protection for a former president. If Crane could climb the roof like a pro at his age, it makes one wonder what the Secret Service agents were doing.
Equally vocal was Rep. Carlos Gimenez from Florida, who pointed out the absurdity of Cheatle’s excuse that the roof’s slope made it inaccessible. At 70 years old, he managed to scale the rooftop with no issues. This revelation leads to the awkward question of just how tightly the Secret Service has its grip on security protocols when a senior citizen can effortlessly access areas that should be off-limits to potential threats.
DEI hire hasn't found the time to make it to the site!
Lawmakers Visit Site of Trump Assassination Attempt Before the Secret Service Director https://t.co/81KKCCzzj1— Disgruntled Midwest Patriot (@MadPatriot60) July 22, 2024
As the delegation continued their fact-finding mission, Rep. Mark Green, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, made a definitive call for Cheatle’s resignation. Clearly, the consensus among members of Congress is that someone must take responsibility for this security disaster. If the Secret Service isn’t up to the task of protecting presidents, then it might just be time to look for someone who can.
While the House Oversight Committee grapples with the fallout from this glaring intelligence failure, one thing is clear: politics aside, accountability is desperately needed here. Whether anyone in Washington is listening is another matter entirely, but the cries for leadership changes within the Secret Service are growing louder by the day. With high stakes and a nation watching, it wouldn’t be shocking if secret service reform came screaming into the headlines as the politicos compile their findings.
