Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Marjorie Taylor Greene goes in on Secret Service director with bogus claim she’s ‘complicit’

Kimberly Cheatle was grilled by House members on Monday over her agency’s handling of security at the rally where a gunman tried to kill Trump

Kelly Rissman
Monday 22 July 2024 14:01 EDT
Comments
Greene attacked Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who was grilled by House members on Monday
Greene attacked Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who was grilled by House members on Monday (AFP via Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Republican firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene fired off a string of tweets attacking Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle as she was grilled by House members on Monday over her agency’s failure to prevent an assassination attempt on Donald Trump during a rally rural Pennsylvania earlier this month.

The House Oversight Committee asked Cheatle to testify after the former president was struck in the ear by a bullet at the campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania — where one spectator was killed and two others were critically injured.

The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, was killed at the scene. But lawmakers have raised questions as to why Crooks, who was considered a suspicious person at the rally, wasn’t stopped before opening fire on the GOP nominee.

“I’ve never seen a more incompetent woman in my life. Cheatle should have resigned,” Greene, who sits on the Oversight Committee, said of Cheatle in a post shared on X during the hearing. “Instead she’s covering it all up, refusing to answer questions and hand over information.”

“She may be more than incompetent. She may be complicit,” the Republican congresswoman baselessly claimed.

There is no evidence to suggest that Cheatle had anything to do with the attack. But the 27-year veteran of the agency was contrite at the House hearing, admitting that the shooting amounted to the “most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades.”

Cheatle testifies at House Oversight Committee hearing on Monday
Cheatle testifies at House Oversight Committee hearing on Monday (EPA)

Greene wasn’t the only House member to call for Cheatle’s resignation.

Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, a Republican, and Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat on the panel, also suggested on Monday that Cheatle should step down over the incident.

Greene speaks at the first day of the Republican National Convention
Greene speaks at the first day of the Republican National Convention (AFP via Getty Images)

“You cannot go leading a Secret Service agency when there is an assassination attempt on a presidential candidate,” Khanna said. “I would say that about anyone.”

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

Despite a barrage of calls for her to step down, in her opening statements, she told the House panel: “I think that I am the best person to lead the Secret Service at this time.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in