Senator Josh Hawley tore into Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe after his complaint that individuals within the agency are being “unfairly persecuted” over their handling of the assassination attempt on presidential candidate Donald Trump.
The tense exchange began with Hawley (R-MO) demanding accountability for the myriad failures that led to the attempt on Trump’s life, and the death and wounding of three other rallygoers in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The senator focused on an individual at the Secret Service who chose to leave the AGR building, upon which the shooter set up camp and fired off eight rounds before being killed, outside the security perimeter.
“Senator, you’re zeroing in on one particular agent, I want to find out exactly what was the decision process,” Rowe said.
A determined Hawley suggested he was zeroing on one person in order to see somebody – anybody – held accountable for the agency allowing the shots to get off, but openly wondered why Rowe did not just “relieve everybody of duty who made bad judgment.”
That’s when the heat got turned up a little bit.
RELATED: Bodycam Footage Adds More Questions About Secret Service’s Awareness of Trump Assassination Threat: ‘This Is Him’
Secret Service Director Under Fire
Senator Hawley proceeded to run down various individuals who had made catastrophic decisions on the day the former President was almost murdered.
He questioned if they had been fired. To nobody’s surprise, they have not, at this point, even been disciplined.
“What more do you need to investigate to know that there were critical enough failures that some individuals ought to be held accountable?” an alarmed Hawley asked.
Rowe replied that he didn’t want to make a “rush to judgment” – as we sit here nearly three weeks after the tragic incident.
“Sir, this could have been our Texas Schoolbook Depository. I have lost sleep over that for the last 17 days, just like you have,” he continued, effectively shouting.
“And I will tell you, senator, that I will not rush to judgment, that people will be held accountable with integrity, and not rush to judgment and [have] people unfairly persecuted.”
Hawley slammed the remarks.
“Unfairly persecuted?” he exclaimed. “We’ve got people who are dead!”
🚨 TOTAL HUMILIATION 🚨
Josh Hawley BREAKS disgraced US Secret Service Director after forcing him to admit there has been NO punishment after Trump was shot in the head:
“The Former President was SHOT! FIRE SOMEBODY! I can’t believe you would say you are being ‘persecuted.’… pic.twitter.com/cjdGYvuY0h
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 30, 2024
RELATED: Secret Service Had Eyes On Suspicious Trump Shooter Hours Before He Took First Shot, Then Lost Him When He Went To Get His Rifle: Report
Ted Cruz Takes A Turn At Bat
Acting Director Ronald Rowe also insisted to Hawley that the Secret Service has been “very transparent and forthcoming.”
“Your agency has NOT been transparent and forthcoming so please, let’s not go there,” the senator replied.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) also took Rowe to task over the agency’s failures in stopping the assassination attempt and subsequent response. He insinuated politics had infected the Secret Service.
“Secret Service agents are not political,” Rowe insisted.
🔥WOW! TED CRUZ SCORCHED EARTH🔥
Ted Cruz sends Secret Service Director into visible PANIC by asking point-blank:
“Did the same person who denied the requests for additional security to President Trump also repeatedly deny the request for security to Robert F. Kennedy Jr?” pic.twitter.com/KWdXIRJf8g
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 30, 2024
Cruz cited reports that the Secret Service denied requests for greater security from Trump’s team, and demanded to know the difference in team size compared to the sitting President.
“What’s the difference? 2x, 3x, 5x, 10x?” the Texas Republican asked repeatedly, at one point shouting at Rowe to “stop interrupting me!”
Rowe has only been on the job a few days, but things are not off to a good start.
