Secret Service Concedes Major Security Failure Since Reagan Shooting

The failed assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump is considered the "most serious" security lapse since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981, according to US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. She acknowledged this during her testimony before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, where she faced tough questions from lawmakers, including Indian American Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi and Ro Khanna.

Security Lapse Acknowledged

During the hearing, Khanna demanded Cheatle's resignation. He stated, "If you have an assassination attempt on a president, a former president or a candidate, you need to resign." He referenced Stewart Knight, the Secret Service head in 1981, who resigned after Reagan was shot. Khanna emphasised that anyone leading the Secret Service should step down if such an incident occurs.

Cheatle confirmed the severity of the lapse when asked by Khanna if it was the most serious since Reagan's shooting. She responded affirmatively, saying, "Yes, sir, I would." Despite this, she assured Congresswoman Virginia Fox that she had taken accountability and would continue to do so. Cheatle stated she was responsible for leading the agency and finding out how the event occurred to prevent future incidents.

Investigation Ongoing

Cheatle informed Krishnamoorthi that the incident was still under investigation. Krishnamoorthi highlighted a timeline from NBC, noting that two minutes after shots were fired at 5:53 pm, the Secret Service alerted its snipers about the gunman. He questioned why the rally wasn't paused at that point. Cheatle admitted it wasn't paused and had no answer when asked if the assassin was on the roof while everyone was yelling.

Krishnamoorthi pressed further, asking if there was ever a moment when the Secret Service considered pausing the rally. Cheatle explained that they would have paused it if they had known of an actual threat. She added that those protecting the president would never bring him out if a threat had been identified.

Security Measures Questioned

Congressman James Cooper questioned why no agent was placed on the roof during Trump's visit. Cheatle responded that they were still reviewing the advanced process and decisions made that day. She mentioned that the building was outside of the perimeter during Trump's visit and that this aspect would be scrutinised during the investigation to determine if different decisions should have been made.

The Secret Service has admitted to denying some requests from Trump's campaign for increased security at his events in previous years. This attack on Trump is seen as part of a series of security lapses by the agency, which has faced investigations and public scrutiny over time.

The incident marks one of the most significant threats to a president or presidential candidate since Reagan's shooting in 1981. The ongoing investigation aims to uncover how such a severe lapse occurred and ensure it doesn't happen again.