Secret Service struggles to quash congressional fury over Trump assassination attempt

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle privately acknowledged connected Wednesday that her agency had made mistakes — but it won’t beryllium capable to stem a activity of bipartisan disapproval complete Saturday’s attempted assassination of erstwhile President Donald Trump.

Instead, nan House is now expected to person a classified briefing adjacent week erstwhile nan enclosure returns to Washington — a measurement some Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries backed connected nan call, according to a personification connected nan briefing and 2 group acquainted pinch it.

Cheatle is astatine nan halfway of a large wind of legislature ire arsenic lawmakers excavation into a sweeping investigation of nan shooting, including really nan gunman was capable to get connected a tile astir 200 yards from wherever Trump was speaking.

She appeared to admit that vexation connected Wednesday, telling lawmakers that location was a “failure” by nan Secret Service astatine Trump’s rally. One of nan group acquainted pinch nan briefing said that Cheatle acknowledged “mistakes and gaffes.”

But nan specifications shared connected nan telephone did small to quash nan laundry database of questions that lawmakers, including Democrats, person astir nan shooting. Shortly aft nan Senate briefing ended, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Cheatle should measurement down.

“Last week’s near-assassination of erstwhile President Trump was a sedate onslaught connected American democracy. The federation deserves answers and accountability. New activity astatine nan Secret Service would beryllium an important measurement successful that direction,” McConnell said successful a statement.

Other Republicans, successful particular, vented afterward that they sewage small caller accusation and that lawmakers were capable to inquire only a fewer questions.

“This was a 100 percent cover-your-ass briefing. … No 1 has taken responsibility. No 1 has been held responsible. Someone has died. The president was almost killed. The caput of nan Secret Service needs to go,” Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said aft nan briefing.

Both Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pushed for nan management to little their respective chambers. Johnson, successful particular, demanded that Cheatle and Wray return part, according to 1 of nan group acquainted pinch nan briefing.

Lawmakers were besides told location were astir 20 minutes betwixt erstwhile nan gunman was identified arsenic suspicious and erstwhile shots were fired, according to nan 2nd personification acquainted pinch nan briefing. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) publically confirmed that item successful a bid of posts connected X — mostly complaining astir nan briefing.

Wray and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate besides updated lawmakers connected nan position of nan FBI’s investigation, noting that nan bureau had truthful acold interviewed astir 200 people.

The FBI told lawmakers that nan shooter searched “major depressive disorder” connected his superior cellphone and that nan FBI recovered searches and images of some President Joe Biden and Trump, nan personification connected nan telephone and nan 2nd personification acquainted pinch nan briefing added. The gunman besides scoped retired nan tract of Trump’s rally successful advance, including walking to nan fairgrounds connected July 7 and earlier successful nan time connected July 13, those 2 group said.

Law enforcement has struggled to publically nail down a motive for nan gunman, but officials person said publically — and reiterated privately connected Wednesday — that truthful acold location isn’t grounds of others progressive aliases a overseas tie.

And nan FBI and Secret Service officials sewage questions from Johnson astir if they were sharing accusation connected reliable threats, including an Iranian crippled against Trump, successful existent clip pinch Congress and nan Capitol Police, nan 2 group acquainted pinch nan telephone said.

But lawmakers fumed afterward that location wasn’t capable clip to inquire questions, pinch astir 4 members connected some nan Senate and House telephone capable to get 1 in. And moreover those who did weren’t satisfied. Both calls were scheduled for 30 minutes but some ran long.

A spokesperson for Sen. John Cornyn confirmed that he was 1 of 4 senators who sewage a mobility successful during that chamber’s telephone but added that nan Texas Republican “is not assured aft nan telephone that those successful complaint astatine nan USSS are up to nan task.”

Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas) told POLITICO afterward that nan House would person a classified briefing and that “my takeaway was it was an absolute nonaccomplishment successful leadership.”

“Briefing was atrocious ... not capable clip for questions,” he added.

Republicans’ ire astatine Cheatle is only apt to turn aft nan Department of Homeland Security notified Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) connected Wednesday that Cheatle will not look earlier his committee Monday, aft he issued a lawsuit for her quality earlier Wednesday.

“Given her recreation and operational commitments, we would admit nan opportunity for Director Cheatle to look earlier nan Committee connected July 25, July 26 aliases during nan week of July 29, 2024 alternatively than July 22,” DHS wrote to Comer successful a missive obtained by POLITICO.

An Oversight Committee spokesperson appeared to cull that request, saying that “Cheatle has agreed to comply pinch Chairman Comer's lawsuit and nan proceeding will return spot arsenic scheduled connected Monday, July 22.”

Anthony Adragna Olivia Beavers contributed to this report.