Secret Service Director: 'We Failed' Preventing Trump Assassination Attempt

TIME

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.

Transcript

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.

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