July 17 (UPI) — House Speaker Mike Johnson Wednesday called for the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, days after agents killed a gunman who tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump.
Speaking to Fox News from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Johnson said he will call for her resignation.
“Look, I think it’s inexcusable,” Johnson said. “Just beyond the classified parts, the things that we all understand, her explanation to the media that there was a slant on the roof, so there was safety concern, it doesn’t wash.”
Briefings were scheduled Wednesday on the political rally shooting for House and Senate lawmakers from the FBI and other federal officials.
The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday its inspector general will review the Secret Service security process preceding the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.
Johnson said he would use a special bipartisan House task force to investigate the shooting and security breakdowns starting Monday.
“We are going to move quickly,” Johnson said. “I’ll be setting up on Monday a task force, a special task force within the House, and the reason we’re going to do it that way is because that is a more precise strike. It goes quicker, there’s not a lot of the procedural hurdles, and we’ll have subpoena authority for that task force as well. It’ll be comprised of Republicans and Democrats to get down to the bottom of this quickly, so the American people can get the answers that they deserve.”
Cheatle has said in media interviews the shooting was unacceptable, the Secret Service was solely responsible and the buck stops with her. She said the agency is performing a review of the security processes as well.
Johnson said his initial conversation with Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas was not satisfactory and said real questions remain.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., called for Cheatle’s resignation Tuesday.
