The Trump security detail didn’t just fail. They are guilty of willful negligence.
And now the Secret Service Director is facing impeachment for what she just said about Trump.
On Tuesday night, CNN broke the story that Iran was in the middle of a plot to assassinate Donald Trump. The U.S. federal government was aware of this, but it’s not clear whether they informed Donald Trump and his campaign team members of this threat on their heads.
Apparently, the Secret Service reacted to this news by “bolstering” the resources of Donald Trump’s security detail. The issue? They aren’t being clear about what increasing security exactly meant. When pressed on this issue, they are giving murky answers that feel like they are skirting responsibility.
CNN Confronts Secret Service Director on Enhanced Security Measures for Former President Trump Amid Alleged Iran Plot
CNN Law Enforcement Correspondent Whitney Wild recently questioned U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on the measures taken to enhance former President Trump’s security following reports of an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate him. Wild’s direct confrontation left Cheatle’s response sounding ambiguous to many viewers.
According to sources briefed on the situation, U.S. authorities were aware of the potential threat from Iran before an assassination attempt on Trump occurred. Consequently, the Secret Service reportedly ramped up protections for Trump. During an interview on CNN News Central, Wild inquired if “every element” of Trump’s security had been increased upon learning of the credible threat.
“Was every element, every part of his [security], from the intelligence to the counter assault team, to the detail agents, to the shift agents, I mean, every element, top to bottom, of the advance and the operation, was every element increased after you learned of this credible threat?” Wild asked.
Cheatle’s response emphasized that the agency increased security measures they deemed appropriate for the former president and the specific event. “What we increased was what we felt was appropriate for the former president and for that particular event on that day,” Cheatle explained. “We have been increasing the assets and the resources and the staffing that we have been providing to the former president since he was a presidential candidate and then the presumptive nominee and that’s what I can tell you.”
Wild perceived Cheatle’s answer as evasive, prompting her to comment, “sounds like a no.”
Cheatle promptly clarified, “I am not saying a no at all. I’m saying we have continued to increase the resources that we have been providing.”
'That Sounds Like A No': CNN Correspondent Dubious Of Secret Service Director's Answer On Beefing Trump Protection pic.twitter.com/mcB4Mj0xYK
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) July 17, 2024
Despite the heightened security measures, CNN reported no known connection between the alleged Iranian plot and the recent assassination attempt on Trump by Thomas Matthew Crooks. During a rally in Pennsylvania, Crooks grazed Trump’s ear with a bullet, igniting criticism over the Secret Service’s failure to secure the event effectively.
Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe expressed significant concern over the situation, especially given the prior intelligence on the Iranian threat. “If this threat was communicated to this Secret Service, which I have no doubt that it was, it makes the potential mistakes and missteps that we’ve all been talking about for the last few days even more glaring,” McCabe stated.
“Because when you receive threat intelligence like that, credible threat intelligence, which that’s what … has been reported, that is the time to step up your game and make no mistakes, to add additional resources, which it looks like they did and to make sure that every assignment is covered assiduously.”
McCabe further noted that any errors in the security detail were even more significant under the current threat environment. “So it does, if there were mistakes made on Saturday, which it seems like there were, it raises even more significant questions about how that could happen under the current threat environment,” he added.
These answers thus far have not been satisfactory for the American people. They don’t get to the heart of how this tragedy was allowed to happen when it seemed like they had all the resources and intel they needed to take down the shooter well before any shots were even fired.
NEW DETAILS TRUMP ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION Butler Co. Sheriff confirms an armed municipal officer w/ Butler Twp. encountered shooter Thomas Crooks before the shooting. This officer & others were previously alerted to a suspicious person and began searching for him @KDKA @CBSNews pic.twitter.com/lzG5q3Lgph
— Jennifer Borrasso (@JenBorrasso) July 14, 2024
Be sure to stay tuned to the Conservative Column for more important updates.