Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe on Tuesday expressed shame for the agency’s security failures during the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
“Since my appointment as the acting director one week ago, I identified gaps in our security on July 13, and have implemented corrective actions. One of my first actions as acting director was traveling to the Butler Farm Show site to better understand how our protection failed,” Rowe said during a joint hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Judiciary committees. “I went to the roof of the AGR building, where the assailant fired shots, and I laid in a prone position to evaluate his line of sight.
“What I saw made me ashamed. As a career law enforcement officer and a 25-year veteran with the Secret Service, I cannot defend why that roof was not better secured.”
Rowe was the Secret Service’s former deputy director — responsible for overseeing daily investigative and protective operations — when former director Kimberly Cheatle resigned last week under pressure from Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
At times during the hearing, Rowe sparred with Republicans, including Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Josh Hawley (R-MO), who condemned his agency.
“I will tell you, senator, I will not rush to judgment,” Rowe said in response to Hawley demanding firings over the shooting. “This was a failure, and we will get to the bottom of it.”
