(Ken Silva, Headline USA) In a stunning admission, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle told ABC News in a Tuesday interview that she deliberately told her agents to stay off the building used by Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks to fire at Donald Trump and his supporters.
The reason Cheatle gave for keeping Secret Service off the roof is nonsensical.
“That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point. And so, you know, there’s a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn’t want to put somebody up on a sloped roof,” she said.
“And so, you know, the decision was made to secure the building, from inside.”
Cheatle’s reason immediately was met with widespread criticism. Observers were quick to note that the Secret Service snipers who killed Crooks were, in fact, also on a sloped roof.
“That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point… there's a safety factor that would be considered…we wouldn't want to put somebody up on a sloped roof,” Kim Cheatle
Here is the counter sniper location she did authorize…
Does that look flat to you Kim!? pic.twitter.com/ogOil9U6r0
— Clint Russell (@LibertyLockPod) July 16, 2024
“Here is the counter sniper location she did authorize. Does that look flat to you Kim!?” responded libeterian pundit Clint Russell.
Cheatle’s response comes amidst revelations that law enforcement spotted Crooks roughly 30 minutes before his attack.
CBS reported more bizarre details about the incident Tuesday, including the fact that Crooks was reportedly spotted using a range finder.
Then Crooks took out a range finder and the sniper radio-ed to the command post. Crooks disappeared again and then came back a third time with a backpack. The snipers called in with information that he had a backpack and said he was walking towards the back of the building.
— Olivia Rinaldi (@olivialarinaldi) July 16, 2024
Cheatle will be pressed more about the Secret Service security failures this Monday at a live congressional hearing.
“We are grateful to the brave Secret Service agents who acted quickly to protect President Trump after shots were fired and the American patriots who sought to help victims, but questions remain about how a rooftop within proximity to President Trump was left insecure,” Comer said in a Monday press release, announcing the hearing.
“Americans demand answers from Director Kimberly Cheatle about these security lapses and how we can prevent this from happening again. We look forward to Director Cheatle’s testimony this upcoming Monday, July 22.”
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
