Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri got into a spat with Acting Director of the Secret Service Ronald Rowe Jr. on Tuesday over the service's response to the assassination attempt on Republican candidate Donald Trump.
Rowe testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday about his handling of the July 13 assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Hawley grilled Rowe about the lack of surveillance of the rooftop where would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire, despite the fact that shots were not fired.
“Senator, you're asking me to make a completely hasty judgment about someone failing, and I acknowledge that this was a failure,” Rowe said during the question-and-answer session.
“On the face of it, someone screwed up? The former president got shot!” Hawley interjected.
Mr Rowe said he had “lost sleep” over the handling of the assassination attempt since it occurred, and promised Mr Hawley he would “not rush to judgement” and honestly hold people to account.
“Then fire someone to hold them accountable!” cried Hawley.
“I act in good faith, do not rush to judgment and have no intention of unfairly persecuting people,” Rowe said.
Senator Hawley has had a heated exchange with Acting Director of the Secret Service Ronald Lowe over the investigation into the assassination attempt on President Trump. pic.twitter.com/H8tTj8NFxY
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) July 30, 2024
The senator then criticized Rowe for reports that the Secret Service had rejected the Trump campaign's request for additional security, which DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on July 15 was “completely false.” Rowe also denied reports that he was not involved in such decisions. (RELATED: President Trump announces return to Butler for new rally after assassination attempt)
The whistleblower told Hawley that Secret Service agents were scheduled to be stationed on the roof where Crooks fired eight shots into the crowd. high temperatureRowe said investigators were “standing by the interior” and assured that state and local counter-snipers were on the roof during political events.
“Senator, again, we are reviewing this matter. The fact that they should have been on that roof but were inside the building is something I'm still trying to comprehend,” Rowe said.
“Mr. Secretary, I just want to express my frustration that the whistleblower has given us more information than you have and yet you have not confirmed whether there were police officers on the roof. This seems like a pretty basic fact. Also, I've been told that a police supplier offered the Secret Service a drone and you turned it down,” Hawley said.
According to a July 25 letter from Hawley to the Department of Homeland Security, a whistleblower told Hawley's office that local police had provided the Secret Service with drone technology the night before the rally, which is said to be capable of monitoring and “neutralizing” potential threats. Rowe acknowledged that the Secret Service had been approached about flying a drone over the stadium and said the agency “probably” should have accepted the offer.
Hawley immediately rebuked Rowe after he said he had been “transparent and forthright” about the information he had received about the shooting.
“Your agency has not been transparent or collaborative,” Hawley interjected, “so let's not talk about that.”
“I've been honest,” Rowe countered, noting that Hawley had not fired any of his employees.
Secret Service and FBI agents told lawmakers on July 17 that agents noticed Crooks about 50 minutes before Trump took the stage at the rally. Secret Service agents reportedly saw Crooks on the roof about 20 minutes before he opened fire on the crowd.
Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley on Monday obtained text messages suggesting police had informed colleagues that Crooks was suspicious about 90 minutes before the shooting. according to He told The New York Times that officers noticed Crooks using a rangefinder but did not approach him.
Crux's attack left President Trump wounded above his right ear and killed former fire chief Cory Comperatore while trying to shield his two daughters from the bullets, which also wounded two rally attendees.
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