Dayton Reporter

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congressman Mike Turner (OH-10), Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, questioned Kimberly Cheatle, Director of the Secret Service, during the House Oversight Committee’s hearing titled “Oversight of the U.S. Secret Service and the Attempted Assassination of President Donald J. Trump.”

Director Cheatle testified regarding the Secret Service’s protocols and its response to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 13, 2024.

Below is an excerpt from the exchange between Chairman Turner and Director Cheatle:

Chairman Mike Turner: "Director Cheatle, your opening statement indicates that the Secret Service constructed a security plan for the site in Pennsylvania. I’m assuming that security plan would also include the security footprint for the site. But it also would be based upon a threat assessment for the threats associated with Donald Trump and the crowd in attendance. Would it not include a threat assessment?"

Director Kimberly Cheatle: "Yes, it would."

Chairman Turner: "So, that threat assessment, as we know, basically would have started with a generalized threat against Donald Trump because he is a presidential candidate. Then it would have gone to ‘he’s a former president’ and he gets security coverage just as Bush, Clinton, Carter, Obama do. And then you also have the heightened political environment. Even for those, it’s clear that the security footprint, that the threat assessment was insufficient which permitted a 20-year-old to actually enter with a weapon and shoot Donald Trump.

But I want to ask you about two other aspects of the threat assessment. It is known and public that Iran is a threat risk for Donald Trump. There are threat risks for John Bolton, former Secretary of State Pompeo, and Donald Trump because they have indicated they want to assassinate them as a result of retaliation for the killing of Soleimani. That is for Iran a generalized threat. They are targeting these individuals but also most recently a specific threat to Donald Trump himself.

Now I want to enter into record by UC: A Department of Justice Public Affairs release; a CNN article; an article from Fox News; and an article from CBS all acknowledge that this threat exists for Donald Trump from Iran and that there are specific threats most recently that have been acknowledged. Director Cheatle have you read intelligence of generalized threats to Donald Trump by Iran as result their desire retaliate killing Soleimani?"

Director Cheatle: "I have."

Chairman Turner: "Have you read or been briefed about intelligence specific recent threats to Donald Trump from Iran?"

Director Cheatle: "Yes I have."

Chairman Turner: "Director Wray when we were getting our briefing indicated he thought threat assessment should included this threat from Iran Is your testimony today that threat assessment since you've read this intelligence was sufficient protect him from this Iranian threat?"

Director Cheatle: "My testimony today is information we had time was known."

Chairman Turner: "Was it sufficient? Director Cheatle was it sufficient Iranian threats said you've read intelligence briefings?"

Director Cheatle: "That information passed--"

Chairman Turner: "I'm not asking bureaucratic issue who did get passed around Director Cheatle was it sufficient specific generalized threats Trump's life from Iran?"

Director Cheatle: "Yes I believe it was."

Chairman Turner: "Is Iranian assassin more capable than 20-year-old?"

Director Cheatle: "Sir think we've acknowledged gaps failure day."

Chairman Turner raised concerns about whether adequate measures were taken given heightened political tensions and existing terrorist threats identified by FBI Director Christopher Wray.

"Have you read intelligence terrorists currently United States those affiliated terrorist groups organizations representing significant terrorist attack occurring United States?" asked Chairman Turner.

"I've read reports apply specifically Secret Service's mission," responded Director Cheatle.

Turner concluded his questioning by criticizing Director Cheatle's handling of Trump's protection detail during what he described as an inadequate response to credible threats against Trump's life.

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