(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe appeared defiant and confrontational when pressed by Republican senators about security failures during the nearly successful assassination attempt on President Donald Trump.
Rowe, who assumed the role after Kimberly Cheatle’s resignation, became agitated on a Tuesday hearing before the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security committees when Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, pressed him with pointed questions about the on-site supervisors and whether any requests for increased security had been denied.
Hawley specifically asked Rowe to name the agents who failed to confirm that the building from which the failed assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired shots at Trump was secured.
In response, Rowe claimed he did not want to single out any specific individual. “Sir, this could have been our Texas School Book Depository. I’ve lost sleep over that for the last 17 days, just like you have,” Rowe said, referencing the building from which Lee Harvey Oswald fatally shot President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
“I’ll tell you senator that I will not rush to judgment that people will be held accountable—and I will do so with integrity and not to rush to judgment and people unfairly persecuted,” he added.
Hawley, stunned by Rowe’s defiant response, retorted, “Unfairly prosecuted? You’ve got people who are dead!”
The Secret Service director says it’s “unfair persecution” to relieve of duty leadership responsible for the Trump rally security debacle? Are you serious? It’s called accountability. Of which so far there has been ZERO pic.twitter.com/ZYMN3i3CZI
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 30, 2024
Like Hawley, Cruz pressed Rowe on reported denied requests for increased security from the Trump team in the two years leading up to the assassination attempt. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi falsely refuted reports of such requests.
Theres an untrue assertion that a member of the former President’s team requested additional security resources & that those were rebuffed. This is absolutely false. In fact, we added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo
— Anthony Guglielmi (@SecretSvcSpox) July 14, 2024
Cruz asked Rowe if he had approved Guglielmi’s false statement. When Rowe failed to identify the individual responsible for approving the statement, Cruz suggested that leftist politics might have influenced the Secret Service.
“Did the same person deny the Trump request that also denied the [Robert F. Kennedy Jr.] request? That’s a yes or no,” Cruz pressed.
Rowe, appearing agitated, said, “Senator, that is not a ‘yes or no’ question.” Cruz replied, “Does the buck stop anywhere?”
Rowe again did not answer. When Cruz pressed him about whether any Secret Service agents were transferred from the Trump detail to a nearby event hosted by First Lady Jill Biden, Rowe dodged the question, his tone growing angrier.
🔥 WOW! TOTAL SAVAGE MODE 🔥
Senator Ted Cruz just ENDED the career of Disgraced Secret Service Director on LIVE-TV:
"The Secret Service LIED to the American people about protecting President Trump and you have FIRED no one!?"
Director SNAPS, begins shaking & screaming
WATCH pic.twitter.com/FN4PssqaSD
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 30, 2024
