The attempted assassination of President Trump has resulted in an unusual bipartisan agreement. It was a result of a monumental screw up by the Secret Service – compounded by unimaginable incompetency by the head of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle.
Cheatle’s incompetency was so obviously profound that the calls for her resignation were so loud and across party lines that her departure was inevitable and swift. She floundered from the start. Instead of taking charge and holding periodic public briefings with pertinent updates, Cheatle offered almost no information to the public, the press and Congress –despite daily requests. And when she did offer a response, it was prima facia … stupid – such as her claim the agents were not on the roof the shooter fired from because it was too steep or that that building was outside the Secret Service’s protective rim.
The capstone of incompetency was her appearance before Congress. As a person who has testified before Congress and briefed dozens of people who testified, I was as shocked by her performance as much as I was shocked by President Biden’s debate performance.
Cheatle appeared contemptuous for being asked simple questions to which she should have known the answers. Worse yet, she ducked, dodged and lied. She could not name who was in charge on the ground – or who reviewed and approved the plans.
In my own experience, people to appear before Congress spend hours being briefed. Aides provide likely questions. One even discusses demeanor. They prepare a strong opening statement. None of that appears to have happened with Cheatle. After nine days, Cheatle appeared to be clueless about any of the events of July 13th. She seemed to have been less informed of details than the press. That is beyond gross incompetence.
In the absence of factual information, Cheatle’s incompetence promoted all kinds of conspiracy theories. In one poll, one-third of Democrats believe Trump staged the shooting.
Cheatle’s performance was so bad that members on both sides called for her to resign … or be fired. If Biden had not been back in his domestic bunker trying to get well and reconnect with reality, she probably would have been testifying as the FORMER director of the Secret Service.
Better late than never. So, what is next?
Sometime in the near future Biden will nominate a new director. In the meantime, Biden has named Ronald Rowe as acting director. He will take over … get on top of the situation … and provide information to the public in a more competent and traditional manner. He could not do worse than Cheatle.
There is no doubt that there was a monumental screwup at many levels. The most critical questions that remain unanswered include:
- Who was in charge of the planning of the operation?
- Were there sufficient resources?
- Why was the Secret Service’s responsibility limited to the enclosed venue?
- Who was supposedly in charge of the outer area?
- Why was no one posted on the roof from which the shooter fired?
- Why did the police not see the shooter on the roof like so many others?
- Why was the shooter not found by police when so many reported his whereabouts?
- Why was Trump allowed on stage after reports of a suspicious person with a gun?
The answers to this question will give us a good indication of the various individuals who fell short – and who were responsible for a serious failure that led to the assassination attempt. They may include Secret Service personnel or local police. In any case, there should be a round of dismissals and reassignments.
As was the interrogation of Cheatle, finding the facts and holding those accountable should not be a partisan issue. It should not take too long to get the facts out and take any actions necessary to avoid a future incident,
As a footnote, there is a lot of talk about Trump’s close call – and the ramifications of a more successful attempt on the former President. But let us not forget that one person in that audience was not so lucky. That is a much greater tragedy than speculation over a near miss – even of a president of the United States. Make no mistake. Wounding a former and potentially future President is a very big deal, but not as big of a deal as it is for the family of Corey Comperatore
So, there ‘tis.