Secret Service Chief Kimberly Cheatle said that the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump was the "most significant operational failure in decades".
Speaking before the House Oversight Committee, the Secret Service Chief added that the failure occurred despite no respucres begin denied for Trump's July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The Secret Service Chief was questioned by the House Oversight Committee chaired by James Comer. During the grilling, COmer raised several questions regarding the security measures in place at the Butler Rally on July 13.
As the hearing continued, the Secret Service Chief was asked if the shooter was spotted, to which they responded yes. However, Director Cheatle added that the shooter was identified as "suspicious" but not as a "threat".
“If the detail had been passed information that there was a threat, the detail would never have brought the former president out onto stage,” stated the Secret Service chief.
The chief also brought into focus that an investigation into the matter is underway when asked about if Secret Service officials were placed on the roof where the 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks was spotted.
"We are just nine days out from this incident, and there’s still an ongoing investigation,” Cheatle said, adding the she will not "get into specifics of that day.”
Admitting what is the most significant failure of the Secret Service in decades, Director Cheatle added that she was keeping Donald Trump and his family in her thoughts. Cheatle also expressed her her condolences to the victims of that shooting that day - Corey Comperatore, who was killed and James Copenhaver, who was shot.
On July 13, a shooting broke out at Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooter - Thomas Matthew Crooks (20) - fired six to eight shots during the rally - injuring the former president and two other rallygoers and killing a 50-year-old Trump supporter.
