‘I Don’t Know Why You’re Being Difficult’: Jake LaTurner Goes Off On Secret Service Director Cheatle

2 months ago

During a House Oversight Committee hearing on Monday, Rep. Jake LaTurner (R-KS) questioned Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle about the attempt against former President Donald Trump’s life and slammed her lack of answers about the event.

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Transcript

00:00Guys, it's Mr. LaTurner from Kansas.

00:02Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

00:03Director Cheadle, I have a question just right off the bat.

00:05Something that you've bragged about repeatedly

00:07is that you've increased protection

00:09for the 36 individuals that the Secret Service is also

00:11entrusted with.

00:12Is that correct?

00:15I think I stated that we currently have 36 protectees

00:18and that we continue to make evaluations

00:21on where those levels of protection are provided.

00:24You've mentioned specific increases in protection

00:27that you've provided for some of those individuals, correct?

00:29Correct.

00:30Based on what?

00:32Well, some of it has been as a result of the tragic incident

00:35that occurred on the 13th.

00:37We went back and reassessed where

00:39we were at in providing protection

00:40and wanted to make sure that we were not

00:44overlooking anything considering this most recent incident.

00:48So the Secret Service needed to learn

00:50that allowing a rooftop 150 yards away from a protectee,

00:56not putting that in a perimeter, not having someone

00:58guarding that roof, that information is new to you

01:01and it's caused you to increase protection to other folks that

01:05are under your care?

01:06I think it is prudent after any incident that

01:09occurs to go back and take a look at your current practices

01:13and see if there is anything that

01:15needs to be done differently.

01:16It's inconsistent, because what you said earlier to Mr. Turner

01:20was that the protection that you were offering to President

01:23Trump was in line with the current threats,

01:26him being a former president, him

01:27being a nominee of a major political party,

01:30the threats from Iran.

01:31The protection that you're providing him was adequate.

01:34Do you stand by that statement?

01:36Yes.

01:37OK.

01:38Do you think it's a problem that the Americans'

01:41trust in the federal government is an all-time low?

01:43Do you think that's a problem?

01:46I think that it's unfortunate.

01:48I don't know why you're quibbling with my word.

01:50Is it a problem or is it not?

01:52I think the American public deserves

01:54to have trust in their federal government.

01:56OK.

01:56I don't know why you're being difficult.

01:59It's a simple question.

02:00Are you concerned about the increasing

02:02prevalence of conspiracy theories

02:04going on out there right now?

02:06Yes.

02:07I am, too.

02:08You've been incredibly inconsistent with your answers

02:11before this committee today and what

02:13you were willing to reveal.

02:14You've acknowledged that the shooter was identified

02:16with a rangefinder, that President Trump's detail was

02:18sufficient for the threats he faced from Iran,

02:21that certain details were erroneously

02:23reported in your words, but you haven't

02:26been willing to provide any information about the decision

02:29to place the building in question outside the perimeter,

02:32the explosives placed in the shooter's vehicle,

02:35the use of a drone by the shooter,

02:38or when exactly the Secret Service identified

02:40the shooter as a threat rather than merely suspicious.

02:43What is your standard today for what

02:45you are willing to answer and what you are not?

02:47Because you've been inconsistent.

02:50I'm certain that you can understand

02:51that some of the information that's

02:53provided to you thus far has come from the FBI's

02:56investigation and has come from information

02:59that we have released.

03:00I want to make sure that information

03:02that is being provided to this committee is consistent

03:05and is factual.

03:06But the question about the drone that the chairman

03:08asked at the beginning of the hearing,

03:10he said, do you know this information?

03:12And you acknowledged that, yes, you do know the information.

03:14You just don't want to tell us.

03:16I guess my question is, is that if you

03:19wanted to wait till the end of the investigation

03:21to draw conclusions, which you've acknowledged you're not.

03:24You're drawing conclusions right now and making changes.

03:26But if that was your standard, that you

03:27want to wait till the end of the investigation

03:29to draw conclusions, OK.

03:31At least you would be consistent in that.

03:35But what we're wanting to know today

03:37and what would dispel some of the conspiracy theories

03:40out there, what would increase trust with the American people,

03:43is for you to let facts out, for you to tell us what you know.

03:47And I want to understand from you, why is that a problem?

03:50Why is it inconsistent with a quality investigation

03:53to release to the American people today

03:55at least the information that you know for sure?

03:57Because you certainly know for sure more information

04:00than you're willing to give us today.

04:04I have released that there was a failure

04:07and that there are gaps that we need to make sure

04:10that they don't happen again.

04:12That's not acceptable.

04:13That's not enough.

04:14That doesn't quell any conspiracy theories out there.

04:18In your 27 years of experience, would you

04:20have been concerned about an elevated location

04:22within 150 yards of a protectee that did not

04:25have a Secret Service presence?

04:26Just based on your experience.

04:29What I can tell you is that every site and every venue

04:32No, no, no, I'm asking for your experience.

04:35Looking at this situation, would that

04:37have been of concern to you?

04:38Or would you have agreed that it's fine,

04:40it doesn't need to be covered?

04:42What I have explained today is that there was.

04:44Is it true that at 5.45 PM, approximately 18 minutes

04:47before President Trump took the stage,

04:49the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit

04:51noticed the shooter on the roof and photographed him?

04:53Is that a fact or not?

04:55That is the information that I have from the FBI's report,

04:58yes.

04:58You haven't been willing to share whether or when this

05:01was communicated to the Secret Service,

05:03so I'd like to get into the difference

05:04between suspicious activity and threatening activity.

05:08Is it suspicious or threatening if an individual

05:11is seen around the perimeter with a range finder?

05:13Is that just suspicious?

05:15That could be termed as suspicious.

05:17If that same individual with the range finder

05:20is found on a rooftop, is that still just suspicious?

05:24Or is that considered threatening?

05:27That could be termed still as suspicious.

05:29My time is over, Mr. Chairman.

05:31I yield back.

05:33Chair now recognizes Mr. Frost.

‘I Don’t Know Why You’re Being Difficult’: Jake LaTurner Goes Off On Secret Service Director Cheatle

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