'We failed': Secret Service director evades questions but admits agency failed its key mission

Under intense questioning, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle repeatedly admitted the agency failed its core mission. Cheatle, however, evaded many of the committee members' questions.

Cheatle called the attempt on Trump's life the agency's "most significant operational failure" in many years.

"The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders. On July 13th, we failed," Cheatle admitted.

Beyond this admission, Cheatle frequently refused to answer committee members' questions, citing the ongoing investigations.

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California Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna on Monday joined fellow House Oversight Committee members during their hearing on Secret Service security lapses at the Trump campaign rally in calling for agency Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign.

Khanna said that federal agencies must "transcend politics" and implied that a lack of confidence in Cheatle's leadership, particularly among Trump supporters, was harming the Secret Service.

Former President and GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump was wounded by a sniper at the July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in which two others also were wounded and another was killed. 

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., criticized the decision not to pause the July 13 Trump rally despite warnings from rallygoers of a possible shooter on the roof.

Krishnamoorthi showed Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle a video of rallygoers alerting law enforcement to the shooter's presence on the roof two minutes before the attempt on Trump's life.

"That looks like threatening behavior to me," posed Krishnamoorthi while demanding to know why the Secret Service allowed the rally to continue despite warning signs.

Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, and Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle engaged in a heated exchange this morning, with Turner calling Cheatle "incompetent" and demanding her termination.

"You look incompetent," remarked Turner, who stated that if Cheatle did not resign, "President Biden needs to fire you."

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle told Congress on Monday the Trump assassination attempt was the agency's biggest 'failure' in decades.

She made the acknowledgement before the GOP-led House Oversight committee before which she has been called to testify about a sniper at the July 13 campaign rally for former President and GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump killing one and wounding several others.

The GOP-led House is holding three hearings this week on the matter.

House Oversight committee Chairman James Comer has called for Cheatle's resignation.