Sen. Josh Hawley blasted Secret Service Director Ronald Roe for complaining that agents were being “unfairly persecuted” over his handling of the assassination attempt on presidential candidate Donald Trump.
The tense exchange began with Senator Hawley (R-Missouri) calling for accountability for the failures that led to the assassination attempt on President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the deaths and injuries of three rally attendees.
The senator focused on Secret Service personnel who chose to leave the AGR building where the gunman had taken up position and fired eight shots before being killed outside the security perimeter.
“Senator, you’re zeroing in on a specific agent, but I want to know exactly what that decision-making process was,” Rowe said.
A determined Hawley suggested he was zeroing in on one person – anyone – to hold police accountable for allowing the shooting to happen, but openly questioned why Rowe “didn’t just remove everyone who made the wrong decision from their jobs.”
At that time, the fever rose a little.
RELATED: Body camera footage raises more questions about whether Secret Service was aware of Trump assassination threats: ‘This is him’
Secret Service chief comes under fire
Senator Hawley went on to blame various individuals for the devastating decisions they made on the day the former president was nearly assassinated.
He questioned whether they had been fired, which to no one’s surprise, hadn’t even been disciplined at this point.
“What further investigation do we need to know that there were failures significant enough that individuals can be held responsible?” Hawley asked, sounding surprised.
Rowe responded that there was no “rush to judgement” nearly three weeks after the tragic incident.
“Sir, this could have been the Texas School Book Depository. Like you, I have lost sleep over the last 17 days about it,” he continued, crying.
“And, Senator, I don’t jump to judgment, people are being honest and accountable, don’t jump to judgment. [have] People who are unjustly persecuted.”
Hawley slammed the comments.
“Have they been unjustly persecuted?” he cried. “Some have died!”
🚨 Total humiliation 🚨
Josh Hawley exposed the disgrace of the Director of the US Secret Service by getting President Trump to admit that he received no punishment after being shot in the head.
“The former president was shot! Shoot someone! I can’t believe they’re saying they’re being ‘persecuted’…” pic.twitter.com/cjdGYvuY0h
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 30, 2024
RELATED: Secret Service reportedly had surveillance on Trump shooter for hours before he fired first shot, but lost sight of him when he went to get his rifle
Ted Cruz steps up to bat
Acting Director Ronald Lowe also told Hawley that the Secret Service has been “very transparent and forthright in providing information.”
“Your agency has not been transparent or collaborative, so let’s not get into that,” the senator responded.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) also harshly criticized Rowe over the Secret Service’s failure to thwart the assassination attempt and its aftermath, suggesting that politics had permeated the agency.
“Secret Service agents are not political,” Rowe insisted.
🔥Wow! Ted Cruz has scorched the Earth🔥
Ted Cruz clearly panicked the head of the Secret Service by asking a blunt question.
“The same man who refused requests for additional security for President Trump also repeatedly refused requests for security for Robert F. Kennedy Jr?” pic.twitter.com/KWdXIRJf8g
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 30, 2024
Cruz cited reports that the Secret Service had rejected requests for increased security from Trump’s team and demanded clarification on the difference in team size between a sitting president and the president.
“What’s the difference? Two times, three times, five times, 10 times?” the Texas Republican asked repeatedly, at one point yelling at Rowe to “Stay out of my way!”
Lowe has only been in the position for a few days, but things are not off to a good start.
