Secret Service director on Trump shooting: 'We failed'

Kimberly Cheatle says she takes full responsibility for any Secunily lapse’ that allowed assassination attempt to happen th TTT VEapL easy Vep, TCeaTT Ur eaTTy aT GaN TN IU ONT NU Ne en

- ERIC GARCIA, JUSTIN ROHRLICH

US Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle admitted yesterday that her agency failed to protect Donald Trump from an attempted assassination at a campaign rally, calling it the “most significant operational failure ... in decades”.

Ms Cheatle was grilled by House members at a contentious hearing over the blunders that allowed a 20-year-old gunman to scale a roof and open fire with his father’s AR-15 assault-style rifle. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have come out demanding she step down as the agency’s leader.

The tense hearing at times veered into outright hostility, with one GOP legislator calling her “full of shit”.

In her opening statement, Ms Cheatle, a 27-year veteran of the Secret Service, told members of the House Oversight Committee: “The assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on July 13 is the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades, and I am keeping him and his family in my thoughts.”

Ms Cheatle told the panel that she takes “full responsibility for any security lapse”, and said she will “move heaven and earth to ensure that an incident like July 13th does not happen again”.

Former federal agents have since criticised the agency for allowing the shooting to occur.

US Rep James Comer, of Kentucky, the Republican committee chair, told Ms Cheatle that he believes she should resign over attempted assassination at a campaign rally, calling it the “most significant operational failure ... in decades”.

Ms Cheatle was grilled by House members at a contentious hearing over the blunders that allowed a 20-year-old gunman to scale a roof and open fire with his father’s AR-15 assault-style rifle. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have come out demanding she step down as the agency’s leader.

The tense hearing at times veered into outright hostility, with one GOP legislator calling her “full of shit”.