'You are out of line!': Secret Service chief screams at GOP lawmaker for politicizing 9/11
Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe and Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX) exchanged words in a shouting match over the politicization of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
At a Thursday hearing with the House task force investigating the attempted assassinations of then-former President Donald Trump, Fallon suggested Rowe had not provided adequate protection at a 9/11 remembrance ceremony.
Rowe insisted that he was not a part of Trump's protective detail that day because he attended the ceremony as a representative of the Secret Service.
"And that is the day where we remember the more than 3,000 people that have died on 9/11," Rowe explained. "I actually responded to Ground Zero. I was there going through the ashes of the World Trade Center."
"Were you the Special Agent in Charge?" Fallon shouted.
"I was there to show respect for a Secret Service member that died!" Rowe yelled back. "Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes, Congressman!"
"Oh, I'm not!" Fallon insisted.
"You are, sir! You are out of line!" Rowe exclaimed. "You are out of line, Congressman!"
"Don't try to bully me!" Fallon demanded.
"I am a public servant who has served this nation on our day, on our country's darkest day!" Rowe shouted. "And you will not politicize it!"
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At that point, the committee chair informed Fallon that his time had expired, but the Texas Republican continued screaming.
"You wanted to be visible because you were auditioning for this job!" Fallon said.
"I was there to pay respect for a fallen member of this agency," Rowe shot back. "You are out of line, Congressman!"