More Republican lawmakers are calling for Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign after she revealed to lawmakers Wednesday that the protective agency was aware of a threat to former President Donald Trump before he walked onto the stage where he was shot at Saturday’s rally.
Ms. Cheatle was one of the officials from the Secret Service and FBI who briefed Congress on Wednesday afternoon on the status of federal investigations into the assassination attempt on Mr. Trump, the Republican nominee for president, during his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
A lone gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired multiple rounds at Mr. Trump, grazing the former president’s ear with a bullet, killing another rallygoer and critically injuring two others before the Secret Service shot him dead.
The Senate and House received separate, virtual, unclassified briefings on Wednesday as lawmakers continue to seek information about the security failures that led to the attempt on Mr. Trump’s life. The briefings on the federal investigations came after House Speaker Mike Johnson announced plans to launch a bipartisan task force to streamline committee investigations on the matter.
Mr. Johnson, Louisiana Republican, called for Ms. Cheatle’s resignation earlier Wednesday, and other Republicans joined in after the briefings.
“I am appalled to learn that the Secret Service knew about a threat prior to President Trump walking on stage,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn posted on X. “I have no confidence in the leadership of Director Cheatle and believe it is in the best interest of our nation if she steps down from her position.”
Sen. John Barrasso, Wyoming Republican, issued a statement decrying the “cover-your-ass briefing” in which the Secret Service admitted to identifying Crooks as suspicious one hour before the shooting after spotting him with a range finder and a backpack.
“The Secret Service lost sight of him. No one has taken responsibility. No one has been held responsible,” Mr. Barrasso said. “Someone has died. The president was almost killed. The head of the Secret Service needs to go.”
Sen. Mike Lee, in several posts on X, described the briefing as “smoke and mirrors” in which there was “little accountability” from Ms. Cheatle.
“What little information she gave us was at once deeply troubling and glaringly incomplete,” the Utah Republican said, calling on Ms. Cheatle to “step down immediately.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, also called for new leadership at the Secret Service, saying it would serve as an “important step” toward providing “answers and accountability.”
Several House Republicans had similar reactions after their own chamber’s briefing.
Ms. Cheatle should resign in the spirit of “real accountability,” Rep. Kevin Hern, Oklahoma Republican, said in a statement.
Democrats have been much more quiet after the briefings.
House members received limited information in response to the few questions they were able to ask during the 45-minute briefing and the answers were unsatisfying, a source familiar with the call told The Washington Times. Mr. Johnson is arranging a classified briefing for members when they return to Washington next week.
Senators also complained that the Secret Service cut them off before they could ask many of the questions they had.
The briefings come after multiple congressional committees launched investigations into the security failures that led to the attempt on Mr. Trump’s life.
Mr. Johnson said in a Fox News interview that he wants to streamline the House committee investigations, so on Monday he plans to launch a special House task force to cut through the procedural hurdles and offer “a more precision strike.”
The speaker said he plans to appoint Republicans and Democrats to the task force, which will be given subpoena authority to compel testimony and document production if needed.
Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer Kentucky Republican, and Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, Tennessee Republican, who had launched separate probes, “will be intimately involved” in the task force, Mr. Johnson said.
While the task force is being stood up, the Oversight and Homeland Security Committees will proceed with plans for public hearings on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
Both panels are seeking testimony from Ms. Cheatle, but the Department of Homeland Security has stepped in and limited her communication with the committees, so Oversight sent her a subpoena on Wednesday to compel her testimony.
In addition to seeking testimony from Ms. Cheatle, the Homeland Security Committee has asked Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher A. Wray to appear at its hearing on Tuesday.
The panel also invited Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Christopher L. Paris, Butler County Sheriff Michael T. Slupe and Matthew Pearson of the Butler Township Police Department to testify in Washington in the coming days.
• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.
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