Foxx: How are you taking accountability for the Secret Service's failures during the July 13 assassination attempt on President Trump?
Cheatle: I have taken accountability, and I will continue to take accountability.
Foxx: You think you are the best person in the country to lead the Secret Service?
Cheatle: I think that I am the best person to lead the Secret Service at this time.
Foxx: In 2022, the Secret Service saw nearly half it's workforce leave in one year, and during the same year, it was ranked dead last among law enforcement agencies, and the best places to work in the federal government.
Cheatle: I dispute the statistic of half of the employees leaving in 2022.
[who filled many of the empty spots?]
Connolly coming unglued; trying to make this all about the 'availability of an AR-15'.
Cheatle: I am unable to answer details of exactly how the individual accessed the roof at this time.
Grothman: How did the rifle get to the roof?
Cheatle: At this time I am unable to answer questions to provide clarity.
Grothman: Have they cleaned the roof since the assassination attempt?
Cheatle: Have they cleaned the roof?
Grothman: Has anything been done to the roof? Is it just like it was ten days ago or not? Has anything been done to the roof?
Cheatle: I don't have an answer for that.
Krishnamoorthi: As you know, the shooter began shooting at 6:11 pm eastern, on July 13th. NBC reported that at 5:51 pm, 20 minutes before the shooting began, the State Police informed the Secret Service of their concern. Now the rally was not paused at that point, correct?
Cheatle: No.
Krishnamoorthi: And according to NBC, just two minutes later, at 5:53 pm, the Secret Service notified it's snipers about the gunman. The rally wasn't paused a that point either, correct?
Cheatle: No.
Cheatle: The people that are in charge of protecting the president on that day would never bring the former president out if there was a threat that had been identified.
Krishnamoorthi: Well they did, because we have now identified three points in the twenty minutes before the shooting that the threat emerged.
Krishnamoorthi: You haven't found evidence that this was a result of a conspiracy of high-ranking government officials, correct?
Cheatle: Correct.
Cloud: Who is the top-level official who reviews the security plan?
Cheatle: There's a number of people that review security plans…people on the ground, there are supervisors on the detail, there are people at headquarters.
Cloud: Isn't there an individual who signs off on the plan?
Cheaatle: There are multi-layered; there are multiple layers-
Cloud: So there's no accountability.
Cheatle: There is accountability, sir.
Cloud: This is; whether it;s the FBI, or Fauci; it's time after time, after time, these multiple layers of accountability turn into layers of plausible deniability.
Khana: Do you know what Stuart Knight when; he was in charge of the Secret Service [during Reagan shooting]. You know what he did, afterwards?
Cheatle: He remained on duty.
Khana: He resigned.
Mfume: Why was the building, the ARG building, placed outside the perimeter, when clearly it was close enough for someone to launch an attack?
Cheatle: We are looking into all of the details of how the advance was comprised, but I can tell you that there was overwatch on that building, provided that day.
Mfume: By a drone?
Cheatle: I'm not going to get into the specifics of technology or assets that were used in this forum.
Sessions: Have any employees been disciplined for their role in Butler, PA, incident.
Cheatle: No sir, not at this time. I am asking those questions.
Cheatle: On our mission assurance, internal investigation, we are targeting to have that completed within sixty days.
Biggs: Was Mr. Crooks acting alone?
Cheatle: I would have to refer to to the FBI's investigation.
Biggs: Was he just a lone gunman?
Cheatle: I would have to refer you to the FBIs investigation for motive.
Biggs: Was the gun already on the roof, or did the shooter carry the gun up with him?
Cheatle: I do not have that information at this time.
Biggs: When was the last sweep done prior to the rally?
Cheatle: I do not have that information at this time.
She was asked if it was 'staged', and she said no.
Biggs submitted a library of documents into the record that expose the Secret Service and it's failures.
Raskin: We don't want to lose a presidential candidate to an AR-15 attack. We can not lose a presidential candidate to an AR-15 attack, and we can't lose any more citizens to AR-15 mass-violence, mass-shootings. And we certainly don't want an attempted AR-15 assassination, or assassination attempt to set off political violence or riots in America.
Mace: Was this tragedy preventable?
Cheatle: Yes.
Mace: You stated earlier. Secret Service is not political, is that correct?
Cheatle: Yes.
Mace: Would you say leaking your opening statement to Punchbowl News, Politico's Playbook, and Washington Post, several hours before you sent it to this committee, as being political?
Cheatle: I have no idea how my statement got out.
Mace: That's bullshit.
Mace: How many minutes went by between the time law enforcement saw and took photos of Crooks, and the shooting? How many minutes?
Cheatle: I am still verifying timelines.
Mace: Fifty-seven minutes.