The U.S. Secret Service’s acting director and a congressman from Texas got into a screaming match Thursday during a hearing on the agency’s failures in the lead-up to two assassination attempts against President-elect Donald Trump.
Ronald Rowe, acting Secret Service Director, shouted as GOP Representative Pat Fallon of Texas after the Republican legislator blasted the service for security lapses that made turned Trump into a Target of two failed shooting attempts.
The outburst occurred after Rep. Fallon showed a photo of Presidents Biden and Trump at a 9/11 commemoration ceremony this year and suggested that as the Special Agent in charge of that detail, Rowe should have been close enough to President Biden to be in the picture. Rowe wasn’t pictured.
“Who is usually at an event like this closest to the President of the United States?” asked Fallon, pointing to the photo. “Were you the special agent in charge of the detail that day?”
Rowe stated the security detail was present but out of the camera’s view. While speaking, he became enraged and accused Fallon of using 9/11 for political purposes.
“That is the day when we remember more than 3,000 people that have died on 9/11. I actually responded to Ground Zero,” said Rowe. “I was there going through the ashes of the World Trade Center.”
“I’m not asking that; I’m asking you if you were…were you the special agent in charge!?” interrupted Fallon, shouting at Rowe.
Rowe raised his voice in response. “Was there to show respect for a Secret Service member that died on 9/11!” he yelled. “Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes! “I’m not,” fired back Fallon, as the committee chairman demanded order, banging his gavel.
“You are, sir. You are out of line, congressman!” fumed Rowe. “way out of line.”Then, Fallon accused Rowe of “laying politics” by refusing to answer his question.
“I am a public servant who has served this nation,” retorted Rowe, saying he served on the “darkest day” of the nation.
“You will not politicize it!” thundered Rowe.
Rep. Fallon said he had legitimate questions about why Rowe was present that day
Outside the hearing room, Fallon said he had legitimate questions about why Rowe was present that day and suggested Rowe was auditioning for the job of full-time director by getting close to Trump and Biden that day.
“There’s no reason for him to be there. There isn’t. Try to find a place in history when the Secret Service director was that close to the president at a function or event. I don’t think you could find it. So yeah, I think he was auditioning for the job, a job that I don’t believe he’s going to get come Jan. 20. I have not talked to the president about that, but I suspect that they’re going to find much better people because he needs to change the culture as well.” Task force members will huddle after the meeting behind closed doors to consider their final report.
GOP Chairman Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania said the hearing was about restoring confidence in federal law enforcement.
“What we’re working on more than anything else is the public has to know what happened that day because there’s still a lot of confusion about it,” said Kelly Wednesday. “When we look at the Secret Service, that’s always the elite of the elite. So, I think what we’re trying to do is establish the situation where…we can restore that confidence.” Trump was speaking at a rally in Kelly’s district on July 13 when a 20-year-old gunman opened fire from just outside its security perimeter, injuring Trump and others. One attendee of the rally was killed.
Later in September, USSS agents opened fire on a man who had a rifle aimed at Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida, golf club where the president-elect was golfing.
The incidents prompted scrutiny of the USSS and its security practices and led to the ouster of Kimberly Cheatle, the USSS Director.
While Kelly admitted he “Would have rather had” Cheatle testify before his task force, he praised Rowe’s handling of the situation since succeeding her.
“From the very start, he said, “Look, it was entirely our fault. This is the worst state the Secret Service has ever had,” said Kelly.
Kelly said he anticipated the final report being released around December 13, the “task force’s ” due date “e for producing the results of its investigation.
The panel released an interim report late in October detailing “lack of planning and coordination between the Secret Service and its law enforcement partners before the rally.” USSS personnel at the event “Did not give clear guidance” to local and state officials about how to manage security outside their hard perimeter, and there also wasn’t a central meeting between supporting law enforcement agencies and USSS the morning of the rally, according to findings presented as critical failures in the 51-page report.
