(The Daily Signal) — The director of the U.S. Secret Service is facing heightened scrutiny following Saturday’s assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump.
An eyewitness at the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, told the BBC that he warned police about the gunman before Trump was shot at approximately 6:15 p.m. The interview, which was shared widely on social media, sparked outrage.
The head of the Secret Service and the leader of this security detail should resign https://t.co/ihlEC5NP1w
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 14, 2024
House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., announced Saturday evening: “I have already contacted the Secret Service for a briefing and am also calling on Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to appear for a hearing.”
Cheatle was appointed by President Joe Biden to be director of the Secret Service in 2022. Her 25-year career included a stint serving on Biden’s security detail when he was vice president.
Sean Davis, CEO and co-founder of The Federalist, reported that Trump’s security detail had requested “beefed up protection and resources for weeks, but has been rebuffed time and again.”
BREAKING: A source familiar with Trump’s security detail tells @FDRLST that the former and future president’s detail has been asking for beefed up protection and resources for weeks, but has been rebuffed time and again by Biden’s DHS.
DHS, which oversees Secret Service…
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) July 14, 2024
The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for making such decisions.
For example, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas personally declined a request from independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secret Service protection.
It’s long past time for Biden to put pettiness aside and grant Secret Service protection to @RobertKennedyJr
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) July 14, 2024
The Heritage Foundation’s Christian Lasval posted video from June 13 in Washington, D.C., revealing that he was able to stand approximately 10 feet from Trump without any interference from law enforcement.
On the ill preparedness of the Secret Service today: I recorded this approx. 10ft from President Trump on June 13.
I walked up to where I took this video about 2 minutes before Trump walked out of the door.
I was never screened before getting this close. pic.twitter.com/11oBfP0tJF https://t.co/6PloCKS08z
— Christian Julio Lasval (@christianlasval) July 14, 2024
Members of Congress sounded off Saturday night as more details emerged about the shooting.
Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, praised Secret Service officers for their swift reaction but questioned the agency’s leadership during an interview on Fox News.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., demanded the Democrat-led Senate initiate an investigation to reveal what happened.
The Senate Homeland Security Committee must investigate this assassination attempt and attempted mass murder and get to the bottom of how it could have happened
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 14, 2024
Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, introduced legislation in April to remove Trump’s protection.
“This legislation would reform the U.S. Secret Service’s protective mission by automatically terminating Secret Service protection for those who have been sentenced to prison following conviction for a federal or state felony,” Thompson announced at the time.
Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, blamed the assassination attempt on the rhetoric of Biden and other progressive Democrats. Vance called for Thompson to be expelled from Congress.
Remember this? I do.
Kick his ass out of Congress. Absolute scumbag. https://t.co/vq7JBMVU2v
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) July 13, 2024
As lawmakers examine Saturday evening’s incident, the FBI announced that it would take the lead role in investigating the assassination attempt.
This article was originally published at the Daily Signal.
Rob Bluey
Rob Bluey is executive editor of The Daily Signal, the multimedia news organization of The Heritage Foundation.
