By Jerald Jimenez
22 Jul 2024, 12:18 PM EDT
Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle will admit to Congress on Monday that the agency failed to adequately protect former President Donald Trump when he was shot in the ear in an attempted assassination attempt.
“The solemn mission of the Secret Service is to protect our nation’s leaders. On July 13, we failed,” Cheatle will say in his testimony before the House Oversight Committee, according to excerpts of testimony released by the Department of Homeland Security.
In his first appearance before Congress, Cheatle will admit responsibility for the security failures and promise that the agency will do everything possible to ensure that an incident like the one on July 13 does not happen again.
“As Director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapses. As an agency, we are cooperating fully with the FBI investigation, the oversight you have initiated here, and conducting our own internal mission assurance review under my direction. We will also cooperate with the pending external review and with the DHS Office of Inspector General.”
The Secret Service is also tasked with providing security for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to Washington, D.C., after the agency also oversaw security for the Republican National Convention, which was held in Milwaukee.
Cheatle will face questioning from the House Oversight Committee over how the agency he oversees handled security surrounding the attempted assassination of Trump. In addition to the criticism, there have been calls for his resignation from several Republicans following the attack at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Lawmakers on the House Oversight and Governmental Affairs Committee are expected to press Cheatle on the security lapses, what the Secret Service knew and when it knew about them.
He will also face questions about whether the agency denied former President Trump security resources in the two years leading up to Saturday, The Washington Post reported.