US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is appearing before a House Committee Monday to answer questions on the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
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00:00The Secret Service's solemn mission is to protect our nation's leaders.
00:04On July 13th, we failed. As a director of the United States Secret Service,
00:10I take full responsibility for any security lapse of our agency. We are fully cooperating
00:17with ongoing investigations. We must learn what happened, and I will move heaven and earth
00:23to ensure that an incident like July 13th does not happen again. Let me state unequivocally,
00:30nothing I have said should be interpreted to place blame for this failure on our federal,
00:36state, or local law enforcement partners who supported the Secret Service and Butler.
00:41We could not do our job without them. We rely on the relationships built over years of working
00:46together to secure events and conduct investigations. Our agents, officers,
00:52and support personnel understand that every day we are expected to sacrifice our lives
00:57to execute a no-fail mission. As witnessed on July 13th, our special agents shielded
01:04former President Trump with their own bodies on stage while shots were being fired. Selflessly
01:11willing to make the ultimate sacrifice without hesitation, I am proud beyond words of the actions
01:17taken by the former president's detail, the counter-sniper team who neutralized the gunmen,
01:22and the tactical team who was prepared to act. I will be as transparent as possible when I speak
01:28with you, understanding, though, at times that I may be limited in providing a thorough response
01:34in this open setting due to associated risks with sharing highly sensitive protective methodologies.
01:41I do not want to inadvertently provide you today with inaccurate information.
01:45The comprehensive advance process involves collaborative planning between our Secret
01:49Service, the protectees' staff, local law enforcement partners, and the level of security
01:55provided for the former president increased well before the campaign and has been steadily
02:01increasing as threats evolve. The security plan included a full assessment of the Butler Farm
02:08showgrounds to identify security vulnerabilities and craft a security plan for the protectee,
02:13attendees, and the public. Immediately following the assassination attempt,
02:17I directed the activation of my crisis center. I assembled my executive team to begin surging
02:22more protective resources to the former president and to ensure the wellness of
02:26our people post-incident, all while securing an active crime scene. I immediately ordered
02:31a reevaluation of the Republican National Convention security plan, and I increased
02:35the security posture in the National Capital Region for all permanent protectees and sites.
02:41At the same time, I initiated a mission assurance investigation within our agency.
02:46I have instructed my team that all necessary resources will be dedicated
02:50to investigating these matters. We will not rest until we have explored every option,
02:56and we will leave no stone unturned. But I want to be clear. I am not waiting for these
03:02investigations to be completed prior to making changes. It is now more important than ever for
03:06the men and women of the Secret Service to remain resilient and to focus on what is necessary to
03:12carry out our critical mission. Our agency needs to be adequately resourced in order to serve our
03:18current mission requirements and anticipate future requirements. The Secret Service currently
03:22protects 36 individuals on a daily basis, as well as world leaders who visit the United States,
03:28like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who arrived in Washington, D.C. today.
03:33The coming years will bring an unprecedented heavy protection tempo. I have no doubt that
03:38the processes that I have implemented during my tenure as director, in addition to my nearly 30
03:44years of experience in this agency, have positioned the Secret Service to be stronger.
03:49Our mission is not political. It is literally a matter of life and death, and the tragic events
03:55on July 13 remind us of that. I have full confidence in the men and women of the Secret Service.