Secret Service Director: Trump Assassination Attempt Our Biggest Failure in Decades

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testified to Congress on Monday that she and her agency failed when a man shot Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in an assassination attempt at his campaign event in Pennsylvania on July 13.

"We failed. As director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse," Cheatle said in testimony before the House Oversight Committee. Cheatle is facing calls from Republicans to fire her.

"The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on July 13 was the most significant failure of Secret Service operations in decades," Cheatle said.

The former president's security had been increased prior to the shooting, Cheatle said, countering allegations from Republicans that the Secret Service had refused to provide resources to protect Trump.

"The level of security provided to the former president increased well before the campaign and has continued to increase steadily as threats evolve," she added. "Our mission is not political. It is literally a matter of life and death."

The Secret Service provided the security requested by the Trump campaign during the rally, she added.

Monday’s hearing marks the first round of congressional oversight into the circumstances of the assassination attempt. FBI Director Christopher Wray will appear before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

Cheatle has resisted calls for her resignation from prominent Republicans, including Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

House Oversight Committee Republican James Comer also echoed those calls during the hearing.

“I firmly believe, Director Cheatle, that you should resign,” Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, said. “The Secret Service has thousands of employees and a huge budget. But it has now become a symbol of incompetence.”

Cheatle declined to answer some questions from Republicans and Democrats about the agency’s security plan on the day of the assassination attempt, saying the matter was under internal investigation.

The agency protects 36 individuals a day, in addition to world leaders visiting the United States, Chettle told lawmakers.