Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) has called for the dismissal of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle following a confrontation in which Cheatle allegedly refused to answer questions about the security breaches leading up to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) has demanded the firing of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle after confronting her over the security failures that led to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn Demands Firing of Secret Service Director After Confrontation Over Trump Assassination Attempt
Blackburn spoke about the confrontation with Cheatle at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee during "The Faulkner Focus," warning that Cheatle must be held accountable for the tragic shooting.
"She's going to have to come forward. She can run, but she cannot hide," Blackburn told Harris Faulkner on Thursday. "She has to provide these answers. She should be fired. She should have been fired Saturday night."
Sen. Marsha Blackburn Demands Firing of Secret Service Director After Confrontation Over Trump Assassination Attempt
Blackburn confronted Cheatle alongside Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) while she was in a private suite at the event on Wednesday. They questioned the decisions made leading up to the shooting at Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
According to Blackburn, she attempted to contact Cheatle after a call with other lawmakers to brief them on the events leading up to the shooting was abruptly disconnected. Upon discovering that Cheatle was attending the RNC, Blackburn decided to confront her directly.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn Demands Firing of Secret Service Director After Confrontation Over Trump Assassination Attempt
"They said, oh, there are no more questions in the queue," Blackburn said. "And they cut the call and everyone was like, we need some answers."
Cheatle reportedly declined to answer the senators' questions during the face-to-face confrontation, stating that it was not an appropriate setting for such a discussion. However, she promised to respond later before leaving the suite.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn Demands Firing of Secret Service Director After Confrontation Over Trump Assassination Attempt
In a statement, the Secret Service said that Cheatle is committed to transparency and has no intention of stepping down.
"Continuity of operations is paramount during a critical incident and U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has no intentions to step down," said Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. "She deeply respects members of Congress and is fiercely committed to transparency in leading the Secret Service through the internal investigation and strengthening the agency through lessons learned in these important internal and external reviews."
Sen. Marsha Blackburn Demands Firing of Secret Service Director After Confrontation Over Trump Assassination Attempt
Blackburn criticized Cheatle's priorities, alleging that she favored donors over everyday Americans and former President Trump, who are all still seeking answers.
"How astounding it was that she was very comfortable in that luxury suite, having a cocktail party, saying thank you to people that had helped fund security," she said. "But Harris, she would not take five minutes and provide answers for the people, and we were trying to get answers on the phone call. How could the Secret Service allow their protectee, President Donald Trump, to take the stage at 6:00, when at 5:51, they had identified a potential threat? 5:53 they alerted the spotters and the sharpshooters, and then at 6:00, they clear him to go on the stage?"
Blackburn continued, "And she is more concerned about donors than she is about the people of this country and the president. I think it speaks to the priorities and the tone-deafness."
Trump was shot in the ear during the attack on Saturday, while one attendee was killed and two others were injured. Lawmakers and critics have raised concerns about how the gunman was able to get so close and fire multiple shots.
FBI Director Christopher Wray has held briefings with House and Senate members to address their questions and concerns. However, Barrasso described the meeting as a "100% cover-your-a—briefing."
Cheatle has agreed to comply with a subpoena from House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer. She has called the shooting "unacceptable" and pledged to conduct a thorough review and provide necessary resources to personnel.
"The buck stops with me," she told ABC News. "I am the director of the Secret Service, and I need to make sure that we are performing a review and that we are giving resources to our personnel as necessary."
Cheatle has also faced criticism for comments she made about a "sloped roof" causing a safety issue.
"Everyone deserves answers. The taxpayers of this country, President Trump, his team, we all deserve to know what happened," Blackburn said. "People are astounded that someone could get to that building and take a clean line of sight shot at President Trump, and it is just God's divine providence that saved his life."
