A would-be assassin shot former President Donald Trump up to eight times from an obvious perch with a clear line of sight, leaving a troubled nation wondering: How could the Secret Service let such a thing happen?
Pressure is already mounting on Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to answer for the attack on the Republican presidential nominee, and experts are also criticizing the moves of her federal agents on the ground as they work to get Trump to safety.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said his panel would summon Cheatle for a hearing on July 22.
Other critics said Trump, 78, was denied the protection he needed at the rally, which took place on the grounds of the Butler Farm Show outside Pittsburgh on Saturday night.
“There have been repeated requests to increase security around not only Donald Trump’s residences but also the body itself. And they have been rebuffed,” Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and pro-Trump commentator, told Fox News.
Social media users also highlighted a video showing Secret Service agents appearing to struggle to put away their weapons as Trump was bundled into an SUV and taken to hospital.
Additionally, law enforcement sources told the Post that the Secret Service’s decision to move Trump to the side of the stage rather than the back would have left him vulnerable to a possible second shooter.
“The evacuation did not go well,” Bongino said.
When Trump hosts events in New York, the NYPD ensures that he has nearly the same level of protection as President Biden, including securing sight lines around any major event from which a sniper could fire.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, crawled onto the roof of a building within rifle range of Trump — about 130 yards, a little longer than a football field — and opened fire before being killed seconds later by Secret Service snipers, authorities said.
“The American people deserve to know the truth,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said shortly after the tragic shooting, referring to the apparent security failures that led to the assassination attempt.
Trump claims to want more security
One Republican lawmaker, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), said publicly that “very reliable sources” told him that Trump’s camp had requested increased security for him.
Waltz said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas rejected those requests.
Secret Service Representative Anthony Guglielmi denied the allegations without directly naming Waltz.
“There is a false claim that a member of the former president’s team requested additional security resources and that these were refused. This is absolutely false,” Guglielmi wrote on X.
“In fact, we have added resources, technologies and protective capabilities as part of the increased tempo of movement of the campaign,” the Secret Service spokesman said.
Did the “DEI” play a role?
Some critics have said that the push for “diversity, equity and inclusion” within the Secret Service has weakened the security agency.
The Secret Service has a DEI program that aims to help it recruit more female agents and protect workers from discrimination based on factors such as race, gender, religion and political views.
Critics suggest that the DEI has led to a lowering of standards in the hiring process for Secret Service agents.
“I can’t imagine a DEI hire from @pepsi would be a bad choice to lead the Secret Service. #sarcasm,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) posted about X hours after the shooting — referring to Cheatle’s previous role as head of global security in North America for PepsiCo.
The DEI issue also came under fire from critics after a Secret Service agent assigned to protect Vice President Kamala Harris clashed with his colleagues in April. The agent has since been removed from his position.
Shortly after that debacle, the House Oversight Committee asked the Secret Service to explain its DEI practices.
Last month, the Secret Service held a briefing with Comer on its DEI practices.
“USSS provided the Committee with a comprehensive staff briefing on Friday, and we appreciate their time and continued cooperation as we continue to conduct oversight to ensure the Secret Service is fulfilling its mission,” an oversight representative said at the time.
“Questions remain regarding recruitment, selection, training and morale within the agency and the Committee looks forward to receiving additional information from the agency in the near future.”
Dozens of people online, particularly on the right, echoed questions about the DEI and the training of Secret Service agents more generally after the attempted assassination of Trump on Saturday.
Some pointed to a previous interview Cheatle gave to CBS News, in which she highlighted the Secret Service’s efforts to boost diversity.
“I am very conscious, as I sit in this role, of the need to ensure that we attract diverse candidates and ensure that we develop and provide opportunities for all of our staff, and particularly women,” she said.
The video showing Secret Service agents whisking Trump away in an SUV drew particular attention after it showed staff looking flustered and one officer appearing to struggle to put away a handgun.
Kimberly Cheatle under fire
Many critics have begun to point the finger at Cheatle, who heads the protection service.
President Biden, 81, nominated Cheatle in 2022 to lead the Secret Service and make her its 27th director. She had worked at the agency for about 27 years before joining the private sector at PepsiCo and then returning to the Secret Service as director.
She is the first female director of the secret service.
Last week, Cheatle explained that the agency takes political polarization into account in the “threat environment.”
“I think it plays a role,” she told ABC News. “I think the environment we’re facing today is certainly different than it was four years ago. I’m sure we’ll see an evolution in the next four years as well, but it’s certainly something we’re taking into consideration.”
“There is nothing specific or credible at the moment,” she added.
Cheatle’s remarks come as the Secret Service prepares for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this week, from Monday through Thursday.
Already, some critics are calling for him to resign.
FBI investigates
Law enforcement, including the FBI, has begun investigating the matter, which will likely shed light on the security breaches that occurred.
Saturday marks the first time since the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan that a gunman has drawn blood from a sitting or former U.S. president.
