Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle fought to save her job Monday as she testified before the House oversight committee about the security lapses that led to the assassination attempt against Donald Trump and the death of a spectator at a rally in Butler, PA, on July 13.
Cheatle, facing mounting pressure to resign, declined to answer questions about how many agents were assigned to protect the former president and how the almost-assassin managed to bring a firearm near the event or access the warehouse roof from which he fired. She also did not explain why Trump was allowed onstage despite warnings about a suspicious person. Cheatle said she was not being evasive but was trying to provide accurate information.
Rep. Tim Burchettaccused Cheatle of being “a D.E.I. horror story,” referring to the left’s “diversity, equity and inclusion” programs that have helped add gender diversity to the Secret Service. However, no evidence has surfaced to show that female agents acted improperly.
Democratic leaders, meanwhile, expressed frustration over Cheatle’s unanswered questions, but some also questioned why American gun violence wasn’t the main focus of the investigation.
Calls for Cheatle’s resignation have come from both sides of the aisle, and her limited responses are likely to fuel suspicions of a possible cover-up. Meanwhile, Homeland Security is also conducting an independent review of the security breakdown at the request of President Joe Biden.