‘Our significant failure’: Secret Service chief on Donald Trump shooting

Washington, July 22

US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle admitted to Congress on Monday that she and her agency failed when a would-be assassin wounded Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, but rebuffed bipartisan calls to resign.

“We failed,” Cheatle said in testimony before the House of Representatives Oversight Committee. “The assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on July 13th is the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades.”

Republican and Democratic lawmakers called on her to resign, calls that she rebuffed, saying at one point, “I think that I am the best person to lead the Secret Service at this time.” In the face of Republican claims that the Secret Service denied resources to protect Trump, Cheatle said security for the former president had grown ahead of the shooting.

“The level of security provided for the former president increased well before the campaign and has been steadily increasing as threats evolve,” Cheatle said. — Reuters