GOP senators confront Secret Service chief at RNC
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U.S. Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle in Chicago, Illinois, in June. Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images
Angry GOP lawmakers confronted Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Wednesday evening.
The big picture: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) posted video to X of her confronting Cheatle as the federal agency has been under intense scrutiny after the assassination attempt on former President Trump.
- Republican senators were already fuming about the lack of answers following their briefing with Cheatle earlier Wednesday, a GOP aide said.
- Once they found out she was at the RNC, Blackburn and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) organized a group to ask her questions in a suite at the RNC. She refused to answer and left.
- Also seen confronting Cheatle were Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.).
Zoom in: Senate Republican Conference Chair Barrasso said in a video shared with Axios that he and Blackburn "went face to face" with the Secret Service chief to seek answers on what happened at the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally with GOP nominee Trump.
- Specifically, they wanted answers on "how that shooter was able to get off a clear shot when the FBI and the Secret Service knew that there was a suspicious person an hour in advance of when the shooting occurred and they identified a potential threat," he said, in reference to reports that emerged Wednesday.
- Blackburn said that Cheatle "would not answer our questions and wanted to say it was not the time nor place.
- "This is after we've been through a conference call today. ... She can run but she cannot hide because the American people want to know how an assassination attempt was carried out on former President Donald Trump," Blackburn added.
State of play: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) called for Cheatle's resignation and announced plans for a bipartisan task force to investigate Saturday's shooting.
- Cheatle told House lawmakers earlier Wednesday that the agency "failed" at its "no-fail mission" to protect GOP nominee Trump at Saturday's rally shooting in Pennsylvania that left one spectator dead.
- Both Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) called for Cheatle's resignation following the briefing.
- Lee criticized both Cheatle and the Biden administration in a series of posts to X, including one that asked "why hold the briefing if they weren't going to tell us anything?"
What they're saying: A USSS spokesperson said early Thursday that continuity of operations was "paramount during a critical incident" and Cheatle "has no intentions" of stepping down.
- "She deeply respects members of Congress and is fiercely committed to transparency in leading the Secret Service through the internal investigation and strengthening the agency through lessons learned in these important internal and external reviews," the spokesperson added in the emailed statement.
More from Axios:
- Donald Trump Jr. at RNC: "America is Trump tough"
- In photos: Trump bandage "newest fashion trend' at RNC
- Trump's granddaughter speaks to the GOP nominee's softer side
- Vance repeatedly name checks Rust Belt in VP acceptance speech
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
