During a House Oversight Committee hearing on Monday, Rep. Jake LaTurner (R-KS) questioned Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle about the attempt against former President Donald Trump’s life and slammed her lack of answers about the event.
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Guys, it's Mr. LaTurner from Kansas.
00:02Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
00:03Director Cheadle, I have a question just right off the bat.
00:05Something that you've bragged about repeatedly
00:07is that you've increased protection
00:09for the 36 individuals that the Secret Service is also
00:11entrusted with.
00:12Is that correct?
00:15I think I stated that we currently have 36 protectees
00:18and that we continue to make evaluations
00:21on where those levels of protection are provided.
00:24You've mentioned specific increases in protection
00:27that you've provided for some of those individuals, correct?
00:29Correct.
00:30Based on what?
00:32Well, some of it has been as a result of the tragic incident
00:35that occurred on the 13th.
00:37We went back and reassessed where
00:39we were at in providing protection
00:40and wanted to make sure that we were not
00:44overlooking anything considering this most recent incident.
00:48So the Secret Service needed to learn
00:50that allowing a rooftop 150 yards away from a protectee,
00:56not putting that in a perimeter, not having someone
00:58guarding that roof, that information is new to you
01:01and it's caused you to increase protection to other folks that
01:05are under your care?
01:06I think it is prudent after any incident that
01:09occurs to go back and take a look at your current practices
01:13and see if there is anything that
01:15needs to be done differently.
01:16It's inconsistent, because what you said earlier to Mr. Turner
01:20was that the protection that you were offering to President
01:23Trump was in line with the current threats,
01:26him being a former president, him
01:27being a nominee of a major political party,
01:30the threats from Iran.
01:31The protection that you're providing him was adequate.
01:34Do you stand by that statement?
01:36Yes.
01:37OK.
01:38Do you think it's a problem that the Americans'
01:41trust in the federal government is an all-time low?
01:43Do you think that's a problem?
01:46I think that it's unfortunate.
01:48I don't know why you're quibbling with my word.
01:50Is it a problem or is it not?
01:52I think the American public deserves
01:54to have trust in their federal government.
01:56OK.
01:56I don't know why you're being difficult.
01:59It's a simple question.
02:00Are you concerned about the increasing
02:02prevalence of conspiracy theories
02:04going on out there right now?
02:06Yes.
02:07I am, too.
02:08You've been incredibly inconsistent with your answers
02:11before this committee today and what
02:13you were willing to reveal.
02:14You've acknowledged that the shooter was identified
02:16with a rangefinder, that President Trump's detail was
02:18sufficient for the threats he faced from Iran,
02:21that certain details were erroneously
02:23reported in your words, but you haven't
02:26been willing to provide any information about the decision
02:29to place the building in question outside the perimeter,
02:32the explosives placed in the shooter's vehicle,
02:35the use of a drone by the shooter,
02:38or when exactly the Secret Service identified
02:40the shooter as a threat rather than merely suspicious.
02:43What is your standard today for what
02:45you are willing to answer and what you are not?
02:47Because you've been inconsistent.
02:50I'm certain that you can understand
02:51that some of the information that's
02:53provided to you thus far has come from the FBI's
02:56investigation and has come from information
02:59that we have released.
03:00I want to make sure that information
03:02that is being provided to this committee is consistent
03:05and is factual.
03:06But the question about the drone that the chairman
03:08asked at the beginning of the hearing,
03:10he said, do you know this information?
03:12And you acknowledged that, yes, you do know the information.
03:14You just don't want to tell us.
03:16I guess my question is, is that if you
03:19wanted to wait till the end of the investigation
03:21to draw conclusions, which you've acknowledged you're not.
03:24You're drawing conclusions right now and making changes.
03:26But if that was your standard, that you
03:27want to wait till the end of the investigation
03:29to draw conclusions, OK.
03:31At least you would be consistent in that.
03:35But what we're wanting to know today
03:37and what would dispel some of the conspiracy theories
03:40out there, what would increase trust with the American people,
03:43is for you to let facts out, for you to tell us what you know.
03:47And I want to understand from you, why is that a problem?
03:50Why is it inconsistent with a quality investigation
03:53to release to the American people today
03:55at least the information that you know for sure?
03:57Because you certainly know for sure more information
04:00than you're willing to give us today.
04:04I have released that there was a failure
04:07and that there are gaps that we need to make sure
04:10that they don't happen again.
04:12That's not acceptable.
04:13That's not enough.
04:14That doesn't quell any conspiracy theories out there.
04:18In your 27 years of experience, would you
04:20have been concerned about an elevated location
04:22within 150 yards of a protectee that did not
04:25have a Secret Service presence?
04:26Just based on your experience.
04:29What I can tell you is that every site and every venue
04:32No, no, no, I'm asking for your experience.
04:35Looking at this situation, would that
04:37have been of concern to you?
04:38Or would you have agreed that it's fine,
04:40it doesn't need to be covered?
04:42What I have explained today is that there was.
04:44Is it true that at 5.45 PM, approximately 18 minutes
04:47before President Trump took the stage,
04:49the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit
04:51noticed the shooter on the roof and photographed him?
04:53Is that a fact or not?
04:55That is the information that I have from the FBI's report,
04:58yes.
04:58You haven't been willing to share whether or when this
05:01was communicated to the Secret Service,
05:03so I'd like to get into the difference
05:04between suspicious activity and threatening activity.
05:08Is it suspicious or threatening if an individual
05:11is seen around the perimeter with a range finder?
05:13Is that just suspicious?
05:15That could be termed as suspicious.
05:17If that same individual with the range finder
05:20is found on a rooftop, is that still just suspicious?
05:24Or is that considered threatening?
05:27That could be termed still as suspicious.
05:29My time is over, Mr. Chairman.
05:31I yield back.
05:33Chair now recognizes Mr. Frost.