Republican Senators Marsha Blackburn and John Barrasso confronted Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday, demanding answers about the attempted assassination of former President Trump on Saturday.
Republican senators have confronted Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle over the attempted assassination of former President Trump on Saturday, accusing the agency of security failures and demanding accountability.
In videos that have surfaced online, Senators Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and John Barrasso of Wyoming can be seen confronting Cheatle at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. They are joined by Senators James Lankford of Oklahoma and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota.
Senators Confront Secret Service Director Over Trump Assassination Attempt
"Stonewalling," Barrasso can be heard yelling at Cheatle as she moves through the convention center.
"This was an assassination attempt, you owe the people answers, you owe President Trump answers," Blackburn said.
Senators Confront Secret Service Director Over Trump Assassination Attempt
In a longer video, the senators question Cheatle about the circumstances surrounding the shooting. She responds that it is not an appropriate place for the discussion, but says she is happy to answer questions later.
However, as she attempts to leave, the lawmakers confront her again.
Senators Confront Secret Service Director Over Trump Assassination Attempt
"You're leaving? You're not answering any questions. You need to be accountable," Blackburn can be heard saying.
The senators' confrontation comes amid mounting criticism of the Secret Service over the incident. Trump was shot in the ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, but one attendee was killed and two others injured.
Senators Confront Secret Service Director Over Trump Assassination Attempt
Lawmakers have questioned how the gunman, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was able to get so close to Trump and fire off multiple shots.
Cheatle has since agreed to comply with a subpoena from the House Oversight Committee. She has called the shooting "unacceptable" and "something that shouldn’t happen again," but her comments about a "sloped roof" have drawn criticism.
"That building in particular has a sloped roof, at its highest point. And so, there's a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn't want to put somebody up on a sloped roof. And so, the decision was made to secure the building, from inside," she said.
Her answers have failed to satisfy Republican lawmakers, including Barrasso and Blackburn.
"This is one of the greatest security failures in the history of the agency. She is a failed leader and she needs to immediately step down from her position," Blackburn said in a statement.
The Secret Service has been criticized for failing to prevent similar incidents in the past. In 2015, a gunman fired shots at the White House from across Pennsylvania Avenue. In 2016, a man jumped the White House fence and ran into the East Room.
The agency has since implemented new security measures, but lawmakers say more needs to be done to protect the president and other high-profile figures.
