South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace took Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to task during a congressional hearing this morning on the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
During a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the former president narrowly survived an assassination attempt after taking a bullet to the ear. Besides Trump, two others in the crowd were injured, along with a third man who died protecting his wife and daughter from the gunman.
Cheatle and the Secret Service have since come under intense scrutiny as many have questioned how 20-year-old shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to bypass the agency's detection long enough to make his attempt to take Trump's life.
During a Monday hearing with the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Cheatle fielded calls for her resignation from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers who have pointed toward the Secret Service director's failure to ensure the former president's safety.
Mace opened her questioning by asking if Cheatle would like to use her five minutes to draft a resignation letter, to which Cheatle said, "No, thank you." Mace and Cheatle then sparred back and forth as the South Carolina representative asked whether the Secret Service director believed the assassination attempt was a "colossal failure" on behalf of the agency. JUST IN: Rep. Nancy Mace tells Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle she is "full of sh*t today" as she continues to refuse to answer questions.
Mace: "Have you provided a list today..."
Cheatle: "I'll have to get back to you on that..."
Mace: "That is a no. You are full of sh*t… pic.twitter.com/sRKpnOs1U5
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 22, 2024
"Have you provided a list to the Oversight Committee?" Mace asked in reference to the committee's request for information on security measures implemented during Trump's rally.
"I'll have to get back to you on that," Cheatle responded.
"That is a no," Mace said before asking, "Have you provided all audio and video recordings in your possession to this committee as we asked?"
Cheatle again responded, "I would have to get back to you on that."
"You're full of s--- today," Mace responded. "You're just being completely dishonest."
The South Carolina representative also alleged Cheatle had had leaked her opening statement to Punchbowl News, POLITICO's Playbook, and The Washington Post before submitting her remarks to the committee.
"I have no idea how my statement got out," Cheatle responded.
"Well, that's bulls---," Mace shot back.
During a Wednesday Senate briefing with Cheatle, it was revealed that Secret Service had initially identified and confirmed the gunman as a threat prior to Trump taking the stage.
Senators Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas, and Marsha Blackburn of Mississippi were not permitted to question Cheatle during the hearing in which only four questions were asked.
"Never — in my 13 years in the Senate — have I seen a briefing end after answering only four questions," Lee wrote in an X post, adding three out of the four questions fielded by Cheatle were from Democratic senators. "So why hold the briefing if they weren’t going to tell us anything?"
