Democratic Representative Ro Khanna on July 22 called on Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign from her post.
“This is not political,” Khanna told Cheatle during the initial round of the House Oversight Committee hearing on the July 13 attempted assassination on former President Donald Trump. “If you have an assassination attempt on a president, a former president, or a candidate, you need to resign,” Khanna said.
The Congressman initially inquired of Cheatle whether the July 13 assassination of Donald Trump was the most severe security breach since the 1981 assassination of President Reagan. Following her affirmative response, Khanna interrogated Cheatle regarding her leadership of the Secret Service and its inability to safeguard former President Trump, as well as her unwillingness to step down.
Cheatle responded by asserting her commitment to uncovering the truth behind the incident. “I am dedicated to finding the answers to what happened. And like every Secret Service agent, we don’t shirk from our responsibilities. I will remain on and be responsible to the agency, to this committee, to the former President, and to the American public,” she responded.
Khanna expressed his disbelief at Cheatle’s decision to remain in her role. “Do you genuinely believe that you being in this role is what’s right for America at this moment? Do you think there are people who are Trump supporters who have confidence in you? We need agencies that transcend politics and have the confidence of all Americans,” he said.
“...You cannot go leading a security agency when there's an assassination attempt on a presidential candidate," Khanna finished urging Cheatle to step down immediately.
During the same hearing, Indian American Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi briefed Cheatle on various conspiracy theories circulating about the incident involving the presidential candidate.
In a series of yes-or-no questions, Krishnamoorthi got confirmation from the Secret Service director that the incident was not a staged shooting, the result of a conspiracy of high-ranking government officials or directed or perpetrated by a foreign state or entity.
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