Josh Hawley and Secret Service chief get into shouting match at chaotic Senate hearing
July 30, 2024
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) got into a shouting match with U.S. Secret Service acting director Ronald Rowe during a Tuesday hearing in the Senate.
Hawley demanded that there be firings over security failures on the day of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump — and put focus on the person heading the team on the ground in Butler, Pennsylvania.
"Why don't you relieve everybody of duty who made bad judgment?" Hawley asked at hearing to discuss failures on the day.
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"I will not rush to judgment," Rowe, who had already admitted to being ashamed of the failures, replied. "I will do so with integrity and not rush to judgment and put people unfairly persecuted."
"Unfairly persecuted?" exclaimed Hawley. "We have people who are dead!"
"We have to have a proper investigation into this, senator," said Rowe, who took over the agency after former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned last week.
He went on to explain that the investigation is going on to understand faults and failures fully.
Both Hawley and colleague U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) claimed to have "whistle-blowers" who have said that the Secret Service denied staffing requests for an increase in manpower. On the day of the shooting, Rowe said that the number of people on the security team equaled that of the current president of the United States. Trump's detail asked for an expansion of manpower and they got it.
According to Hawley, his whistle-blower "is telling us more than you are." Rowe is bound by rules restricting what can and can't be said during an active investigation.
Rowe said that he has been "transparent and forthcoming," which appeared to trigger Hawley, who began shouting.
"Your agency has not been transparent and forthcoming! Please, let's not go there," said Hawley.
"I have been forthcoming," Rowe said.
"That remains to be seen. You have been on the job a few days. You fired nobody. The drones -- were you offered drones?"
At that point, the chairman cut Hawley's questioning off, noting his time had expired.
See the clip below or at the link here.
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