Republican Senators Chase Down, Lambast Secret Service Director at GOP Convention
‘Everyone one of us had questions that we wanted to ask, we felt we didn’t get any of the responses that were necessary,’ one senator tells the director.
The director of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, is being berated by Republicans at the Republican National Convention who want answers about the assassination attempt on President Trump.
Senators Blackburn and Barrasso were filmed at the Republican National Convention following Mr. Cheatle through a crowd telling her that they were disappointed with a call between Ms. Cheatle and every senator on Wednesday.
At the RNC, Ms. Blackburn and Mr. Barrasso were filmed confronting Ms. Cheatle, with Mr. Barrasso saying, “Everyone one of us had questions that we wanted to ask, we felt we didn’t get any of the responses that were necessary.”
Mr. Barrasso is also seen saying “you put him within less than an inch of his life” and telling Ms. Cheatle that he has called for her resignation. Ms. Blackburn is also seen saying “you owe the people answers. You owe President Trump answers.”
Ms. Cheatle is taped saying, “I’m happy to answer questions but we will do it in the appropriate forum” and that “I don’t think this is the forum to have that discussion.”
Axios reports that on a call with members of Congress on Wednesday, Ms. Cheatle said that “The Secret Service is responsible for a no-fail mission — this assassination attempt was a failure.”
“I acknowledge that there were mistakes and gaps. I have requested an internal review to determine what those gaps were,” Ms. Cheatle said, according to Axios.
On the call, Congressman Dan Crenshaw said of the lack of information surrounding the security failures that “people are coming up for pretty wild, wild conspiracy theories.”
Ms. Cheatle has also agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee after the committee claimed that the Secret Service “failed to provide assurance regarding your appearance.”
CBS News reports that Ms. Cheatle was at the convention Wednesday in order to privately brief Trump on the assassination attempt.