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The United States Secret Service Director has rescheduled a briefing with Congress amidst growing frustration and concerns over an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Initially, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle was set to brief Republican members of the House Homeland Security Committee virtually on Monday. However, the session was postponed at Cheatle’s request.
This development comes after Director Cheatle put out her first major statement following the assasination attempt. In her statement, Cheatle said, “Secret Service personnel on the ground moved quickly during the incident, with our counter sniper team neutralizing the shooter and our agents implementing protective measures to ensure the safety of former president Donald Trump. Since the shooting, I have been in constant contact with Secret Service personnel in Pennsylvania who worked to maintain the integrity of the crime scene until the FBI assumed its role as the lead investigating agency into the assassination attempt. I have also been coordinating with the protective detail for former President Trump and have briefed President Biden on the details of the incident.”
Cheatle also expressed confidence in the Republican National Convention’s security plan. She said, “I am confident in the security plan our Secret Service RNC coordinator and our partners have put in place, which we have reviewed and strengthened in the wake of Saturday’s shooting.”
The assassination attempt has raised significant concerns in Congress, particularly regarding how the gunman managed to reach a rooftop with a clear line of sight of Trump’s speaking location. President Biden has announced an independent review of the incident, and a bipartisan group of lawmakers have vowed to investigate.
