Although she made it clear she will remain in her position, Kimberly Cheatle, director of the United States Secret Service, acknowledged the severity of the incident and took responsibility for last Saturday's attack on former President Donald Trump.
In an interview with ABC, Cheatle, despite ongoing criticism, assured that she has no plans to resign and will allocate all necessary resources to investigate the incident that occurred during a rally in Pennsylvania.
According to EFE news agency, she stated, "I take responsibility. I am the director of the Secret Service, and I must ensure that we conduct an investigation and provide resources to our personnel when necessary," Cheatle said, although she indicated that she will not resign as demanded by her harshest critics.
Regarding the possible identification of Thomas Matthew Crooks as a suspect before he opened fire on the candidate, she remarked, "Finding, identifying, and eventually neutralizing that individual took place in a very short period, making it extremely challenging."
Cheatle is scheduled to testify on July 22 about the attempted assassination of the former Republican candidate for the upcoming presidential elections on November 5.
The summons was issued through a letter signed by James Comer, Director of Oversight and Accountability in Congress, who published the letter on his X account.
In this context, the Secret Service has been quite emphatic, stating that it is working with federal, state, and local agencies in the investigation of the attack and affirmed that it will "fully" participate in the independent investigation announced by President Joe Biden.
On Saturday afternoon, Trump, 78, had just begun a campaign speech in Butler, when a gunman opened fire on the stage where he was speaking, one of the shots grazing the former president's right ear. Immediately, Secret Service agents rushed to protect him and evacuated him from the venue.
The attacker, a 20-year-old identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired from the rooftop of a building about 140 meters from the stage where Trump was speaking. After being neutralized by Secret Service agents, a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle was found near his body.
In the event's location, former firefighter Corey Comperatore, 50, lost his life after using his body as a shield to protect his wife and daughter from the bullets.
It is known that two other people were injured and are in stable condition.
The shooting took place days before Trump is set to formally accept the Republican presidential nomination and less than four months before the elections, where Trump is seeking a rematch against current Democratic President Joe Biden.
After securing the votes of enough delegates at the Republican National Convention, Trump will be the official candidate of his party to compete in the upcoming U.S. presidential elections.
Although the former president has been the virtual candidate for months, his candidacy was officially confirmed on Monday in Milwaukee, where the Republican event is taking place.
In this way, the former president will run in his third consecutive election, having won in 2016 and lost in 2020. Kimberly Cheatle, on her part, has more than 28 years of career in the U.S. Secret Service, leading the agency since September 2022, and is its 27th director and the second woman in the position.
Understanding the Attempted Attack on Donald Trump
Given the gravity of the recent attempted attack on former President Donald Trump, many questions have arisen regarding the incident and the response from the Secret Service. Below are some frequently asked questions and their answers.
Who is Kimberly Cheatle?
Kimberly Cheatle is the director of the United States Secret Service, a position she has held since September 2022. She has over 28 years of experience in the agency.
What happened during the attack on Donald Trump?
During a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a gunman opened fire on the stage where Trump was speaking. One of the shots grazed Trump's right ear, and Secret Service agents quickly evacuated him. The attacker, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was neutralized by agents.
Who is responsible for the investigation?
The United States Secret Service is leading the investigation, working closely with federal, state, and local agencies. An independent investigation has also been announced by President Joe Biden.