The House’s bipartisan panel investigating the assassination attempt of President-elect Trump held a hearing to explore what went wrong and how to fix problems at the Secret Service. The panel, consisting of 13 members, concluded that the Secret Service had failed in its mission and that some reforms had been implemented, such as increased use of drones and enhanced communication with local law enforcement.
The hearing was marked by a dramatic confrontation between Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Tex., and Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe. Fallon held up a picture of President Biden, Vice President Harris, President-elect Trump, and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, standing at Ground Zero on 9/11, and asked Rowe if he was the Special Agent in Charge that day. Rowe responded that he was not the SAC, but had been present at Ground Zero, which led to a heated exchange between the two.
Fallon accused Rowe of not being a true protective agent and of trying to be visible for political purposes, which he believed endangered the lives of the protectees. Rowe defended himself, saying that he had responded to Ground Zero and had been there going through the ashes of the World Trade Center.
The confrontation overshadowed the discussion about the Secret Service’s failures and the reforms that had been implemented. The committee had identified some issues with the Secret Service’s handling of the assassination attempt, including the fact that the gunman, Thomas Crooks, was able to get close to President-elect Trump. However, the panel was unable to determine a motive for the attack or whether Crooks had any help.
The hearing ended with Fallon claiming that Rowe’s positioning at the event was a “vanity project” and that he had started the verbal confrontation. Rowe left the Capitol complex before reporters could ask for his take on the mayhem.
