Secret Service Chief Calls Trump Shooting ‘Most Significant Operational Failure’ in Decades

The Secret Service “failed” in its mission to protect former President Donald Trump during the Pennsylvania campaign rally in which he was shot by would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks , agency Director Kimberly Cheatle said in her opening remarks to the House Oversight Committee on Monday.

Testifying before lawmakers on Capitol Hill, Cheatle said she took “full responsibility” for the security breach that left Trump wounded, one rally attendee dead and two others critically injured. The Department of Homeland Security inspector general has opened three separate investigations into what happened.

“The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders. On July 13th, we failed. As the Director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse,” Cheatle told the committee.

She continued: “Let me state unequivocally nothing I have said should be interpreted to place blame for this failure on our federal, state or local law enforcement partners who supported the secret service in Butler. We could not do our job without them. We rely on the relationships built over years of working together to secure events and conduct investigations. Our agents, officers and support personnel understand that every day we are expected to sacrifice our lives to execute a no-fail mission.”

She continued: “As witnessed on July 13th, our special agents shielded former president trump with their own bodies on stage while shots were being fired. Selflessly willing to make the ultimate sacrifice without hesitation. I’m proud beyond words of the former president’s detail, the counter sniper team who neutralized the gunman and the tactical team who was prepared to act.”

Cheatle said that the agency was “fully cooperating with the FBI’s investigation” and Oversight committee as well as conducting an “internal mission assurance review.” The agency, she said, will also cooperate with “the pending external review and the DHS Office of the Inspector General.”

“Our mission is not political. It is literally a matter of life and death, as the tragic events on July 13th remind us. I have full confidence in the men and women of the Secret Service. They are worthy of our support in executing our protective mission,” the director said.

She added: “We must learn what happened and I will move heaven and earth to ensure an incident like July 13th does not happen again. Thinking about what we should have done differently is never far from my thoughts.”

Cheatle’s testimony comes amid a surge of Republican demands for her resignation, notably from Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) became the first elected Democrat to call for Cheatle’s resignation on Sunday.

Watch above on MSNBC.