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By Katherine Fung
Senior Writer
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Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle will have to answer Republican questions about the security failures that led to the failed assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump next week.
Cheatle, who has served as the head of the Secret Service since 2022, will appear before lawmakers on July 22 at a hearing titled "Oversight of the U.S. Secret Service and the Attempted Assassination of President Donald J. Trump," House Judiciary Chairman James Comer announced Monday.
Trump was rushed off the stage of a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday after the presumptive Republican nominee was shot while speaking to supporters. Trump, who is expected to be formally nominated on Monday at the Republican National Convention, was hit by a bullet on the upper part of his ear.
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One attendee was fatally shot and another two were critically injured. The gunman was killed by Secret Service agents at the scene.
Cheatle—who was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ahead of the convention—was heavily criticized in the wake of the shooting. On Monday, Comer said that while the Secret Service has a "no-fail mission," it did so over the weekend.
"We are grateful to the brave Secret Service agents who acted quickly to protect President Trump after shots were fired and the American patriots who sought to help victims, but questions remain about how a rooftop within proximity to President Trump was left unsecure," the Kentucky Republican said in a statement.
"Americans demand answers from Director Kimberly Cheatle about this security lapse and how we can prevent this from happening again," Comer said. "We look forward to Director Cheatle's testimony this upcoming Monday, July 22."
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In her first statement since the assassination attempt, Cheatle said she would "participate fully" in an independent review ordered by President Joe Biden and that the Secret Service would work with Congress on "any oversight action."
"The Secret Service is tasked with the tremendous responsibility of protecting the current and former leaders of our democracy," Cheatle said. "It is a responsibility that I take incredibly seriously, and I am committed to fulfilling that mission."
As the director of the agency, Cheatle oversees more than 7,800 personnel. She served in the Secret Service for 28 years before moving to PepsiCo, where she was the senior director for global security. During her time at the Secret Service, Cheatle had helped evacuate Vice President Dick Cheney during the 9/11 attacks. She also served on Biden's protective detail during the Obama administration.
Among the concerns that have been raised about the shooting are questions about how the gunman was able to obtain rooftop access just 150 meters from Trump's position on the stage. The Secret Service has said that the agency did not sweep the building where the sniper, who has been identified by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, shot from, leaving that security measure to local law enforcement instead.
Update 07/15/24, 3:01 p.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information.
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