Outrage has its place, but outrage alone will not suffice in the face of such bureaucratic hubris.
During a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing Monday in Washington, Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina grilled Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle over her agency’s failure to protect former President Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, as well as the director’s subsequent refusal to answer direct questions about the assassination attempt on the former president.
“You’re full of s*** today. You’re just being completely dishonest,” Mace said halfway through her questioning of Cheatle.
The South Carolina congresswoman’s colorful language prompted calls for “decorum” from another committee member.
Suffice it to say, however, that Mace had no interest in politeness. She ignored the interruption and continued her questioning.
In so doing, the congresswoman channeled the feelings of every seething American citizen who had to sit and watch as a federal bureaucrat, nine days after the assassination attempt on Trump, continued to obfuscate and provide no meaningful answers about what happened and why on July 13.
Mace began her questioning by indicating that she required only “yes” or “no” responses.
She then asked if Cheatle wanted to use those five minutes to draft a resignation letter. The director declined.
After struggling to extract simple “yes” or “no” answers, Mace finally got her to admit that the assassination attempt constituted a “colossal” and “preventable” failure.
Was Mace’s fiery questioning appropriate?
Incredibly, the despicable Secret Service director then claimed that she had been transparent with committee members even though they had to issue her a subpoena in order to get her to testify.
Cheatle also claimed that the agency is “not political” despite the fact that someone — she claimed not to know who — leaked her opening statement to three left-wing news outlets.
“That’s bulls***,” Mace replied, setting the tone for the rest of her questioning.
Moments later, Cheatle’s hubristic obfuscation intensified.
The congresswoman cited a July 15 letter from the committee. She then identified specific requests for information and asked if the director had complied with those requests.
Maddeningly, Cheatle responded with the standard bureaucratic evasion: “I will have to get back to you on that.”
After she answered Mace’s next question in the same dismissive manner, the South Carolina Republican rightly erupted and called Cheatle “full of s*** today.”
Ignoring a fellow committee member’s call for “decorum,” Mace asked another question and got the same reply.
“You are being dishonest or lying,” the exasperated congresswoman said.
WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language that some viewers may find offensive.
🔥 WOW! TOTAL SAVAGE MODE 🔥
Rep. Nancy Mace just ENDED the career of Disgraced Secret Service Director Cheatle on LIVE-TV:
“This is Bulls**t! You are FULL of SH**!”
Got Cheatle to admit her “colossal failure”
Trump assassination “was preventable”
And leaks to press
WATCH: pic.twitter.com/kPOphfSubO— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 22, 2024
Remarkably, by the time Mace finished her questions, Cheatle had admitted that no Secret Service personnel had lost their jobs over an assassination attempt that nearly succeeded and left one Trump supporter dead.
Mace’s indignation undoubtedly reflected that of millions who watched Cheatle’s disgraceful performance. But even that indignation did not go far enough.
“Cheatle wanted Donald Trump to get shot and feels zero remorse about it,” Sean Davis, CEO and co-founder of The Federalist, said in a post on X. “It’s impossible to watch this hearing and come to any other conclusion. She is a mobster, and her job is to cover-up the failed hit and protect everyone who made it happen.”
Cheatle wanted Donald Trump to get shot and feels zero remorse about it. It’s impossible to watch this hearing and come to any other conclusion. She is a mobster, and her job is to cover-up the failed hit and protect everyone who made it happen. https://t.co/9quj766UMh
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) July 22, 2024
Cheatle’s evasive non-answers to Mace’s dogged questioning did nothing to allay such dark suspicions.
