U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said Monday during an ABC interview that she would not be stepping down from her position and called the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump “unacceptable.”
Cheatle sat down with ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas for her first interview since Saturday’s Pennsylvania rally attack as the agency has received backlash over the potential security failures. Following the news of the attack, Cheatle stated she had been shocked and concerned for the former president, before noting it was an “event that should’ve never happened.” (RELATED: Authorities Reportedly Spotted Trump’s Would-Be Assassin Nearly 30 Minutes Before He Opened Fire)
“Who is most responsible for this happening?” Thomas asked.
“What I would say is the Secret Service is responsible for the protection of the former president,” Cheatle said.
Thomas continued to press the Secret Service Director by asking if the “buck” then “stops” with her.
“The buck stops with me. I am the director of the Secret Service, and I need to make sure that we are performing a review and that we are giving resources to our personnel as necessary,” Cheatle said. “It was unacceptable and it’s something that shouldn’t happen again.”
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Since the attack, Republican lawmakers have demanded answers from Cheatle on how the agency failed to prevent the attack, while Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and billionaire Elon Musk have called for her to step down. However, Cheatle told the outlet that she does plan to stay despite the concerns.
Cheatle confirmed the agency had been working with local law enforcement on securing the area during the Pennsylvania rally Saturday, with Secret Service in control of the inner perimeter.
“In this particular instance, we did share support for that particular site and that the Secret Service was responsible for the inner perimeter,” Cheatle said. “And then we sought assistance from our local counterparts for the outer perimeter. There was local police in that building — there was local police in the area that were responsible for the outer perimeter of the building.”
The shooter, who has been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was reported to have been located on an elevated platform seated upon a shed which was outside of the Secret Service’s security perimeter, using an AR-style rifle just 200-300 feet away, according to CBS News.
Thirty minutes prior to the attack local law enforcement personnel reportedly spotted Crooks before he was able to shoot multiple rounds at Trump and the crowd, according to WPXI, citing anonymous law enforcement sources. Multiple pictures allegedly had been taken of the shooter and reported in prior to the incident, however, at the time it was unclear if Crooks was armed.
Additionally, an officer later reached the building by the time Crooks was positioned and had climbed up the ladder to the roof, but reportedly retreated after Crooks had pivoted his weapon towards the officer, according to The Association Press.
The attack resulted in the death of former volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore and two other crowd members, 57-year-old David Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver, who are in stable condition.
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