Written By Lisa Murimi
Growing frustration and anger among Republican members of Congress have turned the spotlight on the Secret Service following an attempt on the life of presidential nominee Donald Trump.
A House committee hearing on Monday will question Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, an event Speaker Mike Johnson has dubbed “must-see TV” for Americans concerned about security failures at a Pennsylvania rally earlier this month.
“She’s got a lot to answer for. And these concerns are bipartisan,” Johnson told CNN. Republicans, who control the House, have been united in demanding Cheatle’s resignation after a 20-year-old gunman shot Trump in the ear at the July 13 rally.
Videos surfaced last week showing lawmakers confronting Cheatle at the Republican convention, demanding explanations for the security lapse. Trump, in an interview with Fox News, expressed his frustration, stating, “Nobody mentioned it, nobody said there was a problem.”
Reports indicate Trump had sought additional security in the months leading up to the incident, but these requests were either denied or unmet due to staffing shortages.
Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi acknowledged that the agency had to rely on state and local law enforcement in some instances.
The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general is also investigating the attack, which occurred despite the Secret Service identifying the gunman as suspicious 20 minutes before he opened fire.
Lawmakers are set to release more details about a bipartisan task force with subpoena authority to investigate the Secret Service’s response.
