The US Secret Service Director sparked controversy online with an explanation perceived as unusual regarding the absence of an agent on the roof from which gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks attacked former President Donald Trump.
Kimberly Cheatle, facing calls for resignation over the security lapse, disclosed that the Secret Service, responsible for protecting both current and former presidents, deemed the roof of a nearby warehouse too hazardous for an agent during Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
On Sunday, Crooks, 20, climbed the building and positioned himself on the roof, where he fired at Trump, injuring him in the ear and fatally shooting a rally attendee. Cheatle told ABC News that the decision not to station an agent on the roof was due to its steep incline, considered unsafe for security personnel. Instead, the Secret Service opted to secure the building internally.
The security breach allowed Crooks to evade both police and Secret Service agents, despite having been flagged as suspicious. Witnesses reported seeing Crooks ascend to the roof with an AR-style rifle, but security measures failed to prevent the attack.
Cheatle acknowledged that the Secret Service was aware of the building’s vulnerabilities but maintained that no personnel were assigned to the roof. She admitted responsibility, stating, “The buck stops with me. It was unacceptable, and it’s something that shouldn’t happen again.”
Conservative radio host and former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino claimed to have received information that someone was supposed to be on the roof but did not arrive. He criticized the agency’s explanation about the roof’s pitch, citing his source’s assertion that the absence of the post was inexplicable.
Former FBI special agent Kenneth Gray criticized the Secret Service’s handling of the incident, suggesting that recent diversity initiatives might have affected operational effectiveness. Calls from Republicans and other critics for a thorough investigation into the incident underscored the seriousness of the security failure.
Cheatle’s management of the crisis has come under scrutiny, particularly as she was absent from the initial FBI press briefing. President Joe Biden expressed confidence in the Secret Service’s dedication but questioned whether the agency could have foreseen the attack, leaving unanswered questions about whether more could have been done to prevent the incident.