Acting US Secret Service director Ronald Rowe Jr. told a Senate committee Tuesday that he identified issues in the agency’s security at the site of the failed assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on July 13.
Senators from the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees are taking part in the hearing, called the “Examination of the Security Failures Leading to the Assassination Attempt on Former President Trump.”
Rowe examined the site of the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. He testified that he “identified gaps” in security and that the agency is already working on fixing them.
“I will not wait for the results of those investigations,” Rowe said.
Rowe added that the agency will use drones and dispatch “experienced supervisors” to vet the security plans at events to prevent another gap in security.
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate is also testifying.
One person was killed in the shooting and at least two more were injured.
Lawmakers continue to press for more details on how the shooter – 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park was able to post himself on an adjacent building and what his motive was.
Rowe was elevated to the role of acting director following the resignation of Kimberly Cheatle. She resigned after testifying to the House Oversight and Accountability Committee last week.
Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and ranking Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., wrote in a joint letter to Cheatle that she “failed to provide answers to basic questions regarding that stunning operational failure.” The letter called on her to resign. (UPI)
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