Staff Reports
The impending testimony of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle before the House Oversight Committee promises to be one of those cringe-worthy spectacles that keeps Americans glued to their screens, wondering how on earth the nation’s top protective agency could bungle a high-profile event so badly. With President Trump nearly taken out by an assassin’s bullet during a rally, Cheatle will likely find herself facing the wrath of lawmakers questioning how a 20-year-old with a drone and a rangefinder managed to get within a couple of hundred yards of the stage without anyone in the Secret Service getting their act together.
The incident on July 13 drew attention not only for the near-fatal encounter with Thomas Matthew Crooks but also for the stunning incompetence displayed by the Secret Service. It almost sounds like a script from a bad action movie. Crooks, perched on a rooftop like some sort of misfit sniper, managed to nearly execute a perfect headshot on Trump—only missing by mere millimeters. The fact that the shooter was neutralized afterward raises more questions than answers. A mysterious man in a grey suit took evidence photos of the assailant’s body, only to be mistakenly believed to be one of their own. For an agency tasked with protecting the president, this kind of blundering behavior is alarming, to say the least.
The Man Who Police Gave Photos of Trump's Would-Be Assassin to Was Not Secret Service
https://t.co/wke03Feu1S— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 22, 2024
In the days since the attempted assassination, the Secret Service has gone silent, echoing the same bunker mentality exhibited by Biden when handling anything remotely dangerous. It turns out that just moments before the shooting, Secret Service snipers on the roof had Crooks in their sights for a solid two minutes but failed to act. Adding to the absurdity, the agency was reportedly aware of threats against Trump ten minutes before he took the stage, yet they decided to let the show go on. Clearly, Cheatle is buddy-buddy with Jill Biden and seems to be operating under the impression that there’s no immediate need to take threats against the former president seriously.
Moreover, local law enforcement was left scratching their heads as the Secret Service neglected to issue proper commands or include them in critical safety briefings. Instead, cops were occupied with traffic duties while the potential assassin prepared his attack. Senator Ron Johnson has been quick to highlight the chaotic communications during this debacle, with reports indicating that local officials were not even in direct contact with Cheatle’s team when they received word of Crooks’s presence. If there was ever a moment when the phrase “Who’s in charge here?” was warranted, this is it.
Amidst all these revelations, one must wonder what the Secret Service was thinking. Apparently, their grand plan involved cutting back on resources while still expecting them to perform like a well-oiled machine. The agency’s management is guilty of doling out bonuses to lower-level managers who save money by slashing manpower and resources, regardless of the actual security needs. It sounds less like a protective service and more like an inept annual savings competition.
If Cheatle musters the courage to face the committee, she will undoubtedly be grilled mercilessly about her agency’s handling of this grave situation. With lives on the line, the stakes couldn’t be higher, and she’ll need more than a flimsy excuse to explain how an assassin almost succeeded in harming a former president right under their noses.
