Kimberly Cheatle is no longer the director of the Secret Service. Still, questions remain about the unprotected rooftop where Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, attempted to assassinate Donald Trump on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania. Crooks missed a fatal headshot by millimeters, but the glaring security breaches led to a grilling of the agency not seen in a generation. For over four hours, then-Director Cheatle took a beating from Democrats and Republicans over this assassination attempt, and she stonewalled lawmakers. If there was bipartisan agreement, Cheatle should resign, which she eventually did despite claiming she felt she was the best to lead the agency.
Advertisement
Cheatle departs as new bodycam footage obtained by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is released. It shows Beaver County Emergency Services Unit telling a Secret Service agent that photos of Crooks were taken by their team and distributed to the rest of the support teams before he fired on the former president: [WARNING: Graphic Content]:
In a letter to the agency, the Iowa Republican listed numerous questions, including whether the Secret Service and local law enforcement are responsible for covering the AGR building, where Crooks was perched. Also, a Secret Service drone operator was on the personnel list for the July 13 rally, though no aerial surveillance was reportedly active when the attack began. Meanwhile, Crooks allegedly flew his drone over the rally area before he opened fire.
Recommended
Advertisement
The footage dovetails with the video taken by Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), who scaled the structure, noting that it wasn’t really a sloped roof. Before her exit, Cheatle said the safety concerns were why snipers weren’t on that roof.
Advertisement
UPDATE: A new video of the attack has been released; an eyewitness, who claims to be ex-military, also noted the glaring security issues at the rally, namely that he and others were along the fenceline, full-view of the stage, and none of them were checked by police. [WARNING: Graphic content]: