Several lawmakers visited the site of the Trump assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania on Monday.
While there they visited and walked out on the roof from which the shooter fired at Trump and his supporters. In the process, they blew apart the excuse that Secret Service head Kim Cheatle had given for why Secret Service agents hadn't been stationed on the roof, which had easy sight of Trump's stage.
Previously, Cheatle said that she didn't want to put agents out on the roof because it was sloped and there was a "safety factor."
“Should that roof have been secured?”
— 📜 (@cozyduke_apt29) July 17, 2024
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle: “That building, in particular, has a sloped roof. There's a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn't want to put somebody up on a sloped roof.” pic.twitter.com/FW2ntsTcRX
She said the decision was therefore made to secure the building from the inside.
That was obviously nonsense when you see the Secret Service snipers also on a roof that appears more sloped. Cheatle got mocked on X with a variety of memes over this ridiculous excuse.
But when the lawmakers visited the roof, they imploded that whole excuse and walked around on the roof without any difficulty, including 70-year-old Rep. Carlos Giminez (R-FL) who was also a former SWAT member.
🚨BREAKING —> My name is Carlos Gimenez & I represent Miami in Congress.
— Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez (@RepCarlos) July 22, 2024
I’m standing on the roof in Pennsylvania where Thomas Crooks attempted to assassinate President Trump.
I’m 70 years old, if I was able to get on this roof — anybody can. pic.twitter.com/fWmPnvpdtK
“I can tell you that, just looking at the site, immediately there are things that just hit you, and the fact that those things weren’t covered is unacceptable, completely unacceptable,” Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) told reporters during the Butler, Pennsylvania, visit. “I was on that roof, the roof that the director said was really, really dangerous for Secret Service and other personnel to be on. I’m 70 years old. There’s nothing unsafe about that.”
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) said after visiting the roof that was "so close" for a sniper to where former President Donald Trump had been on the stage. He also asked why there weren't counter-snipers on a nearby water tower.
Here's Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), who was a former Navy SEAL sniper.
I’m on the roof of the building in Butler, PA where shots were fired in an attempt to assassinate President Trump.
— Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) July 22, 2024
As a former Navy SEAL sniper, it was clear to me that many security measures were dropped making Pres. Trump extremely vulnerable.
Many questions still remain. pic.twitter.com/p2EhBTFg1M
He said, "It was clear to me that many security measures were dropped making Pres. Trump extremely vulnerable.Many questions still remain."
Then another video taken by Crane struck me very forcefully, especially given what Cheatle said. How did anyone get out on the roof if the Secret Service had a full view of the roof from this vantage point?
This video was taken from one of the windows the Secret Service had access to, overlooking the entire roof.
— Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) July 22, 2024
As you can see, they had complete coverage.
Makes you wonder how on earth they allowed the shooter to access the roof, let alone crawl up it & fire several shots. pic.twitter.com/C1GTUAuPEa
This video was taken from one of the windows the Secret Service had access to, overlooking the entire roof.As you can see, they had complete coverage. Makes you wonder how on earth they allowed the shooter to access the roof, let alone crawl up it & fire several shots.
That wasn't all.
With questions still swirling about why warnings to local police about the suspect were slow to reach Secret Service personnel, Homeland Security Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.) said he learned Monday that local authorities were excluded from the Secret Service command posts for the July 13 rally, even though such officials had been granted that access at similar events in the past.
“Normally, the local law enforcement guys are allowed to sit in the Secret Service … control room,” Green said. “Today, the locals shared with us that they were not allowed to have anybody in there. So, that makes you want to dig a little further, right?”
The whole excuse from Cheatle about the roof was just ridiculous and they completely did it in. The bigger question is why is she spreading such malarkey when it's clearly nonsense? In the words of Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) earlier on Monday at the House Oversight Committee grilling of Cheatle, "What are you covering up? What are you hiding?"
READ MORE:
Rep. McClain Brings Straight Fire to Kim Cheatle, 'What Are You Covering Up?'
Ron Johnson Lays Out Astonishing Info and Big Questions in New Report on Assassination Attempt
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