MILWAUKEE, Wisc. — The Secret Service has delayed a congressional briefing on former President Donald Trump’s near-assassination because Director Kimberly Cheatle is at the Republican National Convention.
The briefing for the House Homeland Security Committee had been scheduled for Monday afternoon — as congressional Republicans slam security lapses that helped lead to Trump, 78, being struck in the ear with a bullet Saturday at a Pennsylvania rally.
“The committee has made clear that it expects to receive an alternative briefing date from the [Secret Service] promptly,” a panel spokesman told The Post.
The private briefing was canceled by the Secret Service — even though Cheatle was able to appear virtually from Milwaukee to brief President Biden and other administration officials after the shooting and had been asked to appear even virtually before the committee.
Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) and Democratic ranking member Bennie Thompson of Mississippi spoke with FBI Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells about the shooting on Monday afternoon, the panel rep said.
“They were notified that the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office is leading the investigation into what they are calling potential domestic terrorism and the attempted assassination of President Trump,” the representative told The Post.
“The FBI is focused on the gunman, his motive, any potential associations, building a timeline of events, and related matters, while the Secret Service is conducting a separate review of its security protocol,” the rep said in a statement.
“Chairman Green is pleased to know the FBI has so far conducted nearly 100 interviews, and has access to the gunman’s phone,” the representative added. “Chairman Green was assured by … Wells that the FBI intends to be transparent with Congress during its investigation.
“Chairman Green intends to schedule a site visit, if possible, once the scene has been processed, and looks forward to being briefed by [Secret Service] as soon as possible, as do Committee Members,” the rep said.
Members of the House Oversight Committee will receive a separate closed-door briefing from authorities Tuesday — and are expected to grill Cheatle in a public hearing July 22.
“The United States Secret Service has a no-fail mission, yet it failed on Saturday when a madman attempted to assassinate President Trump, killed an innocent victim, and harmed others,” Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said in a statement.
“We are grateful to the brave Secret Service agents who acted quickly to protect President Trump after shots were fired and the American patriots who sought to help victims, but questions remain about how a rooftop within proximity to President Trump was left unsecure,” Comer said.
“Americans demand answers from Director Kimberly Cheatle about these security lapses and how we can prevent this from happening again.”
A bullet grazed Trump’s ear in the assassination attempt, with the presumptive Republican presidential nominee saying afterward that it was a “miracle” he wasn’t killed.
Another rallygoer was shot dead by the 20-year-old gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, who took aim at the 45th president from the roof of a manufacturing plant more than 130 yards away from the stage at the Butler Farm Show grounds.
“A direct line of sight like that to the former president should not occur,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC News’ “Good Morning America” on Monday.
Rank-and-file Secret Service agents have pointed the finger at local police — at least one of whom reportedly confronted the shooter but backed down just before he opened fire.
“This was a catastrophic failure. It should never have been a remote possibility,” said former Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who led an investigation into the Secret Service in 2015, to the Washington Post, referring to the shooting.
Speculation has also swirled about whether the Secret Service was stretched thin in having to staff Trump’s detail for the Saturday rally in Butler, Pa., as well as for first lady Jill Biden’s event in nearby Pittsburgh.
“We did not divert resources from FPOTUS Trump & protection models don’t work that way,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.
As for the RNC, Cheatle said in a statement, “I am confident in the security plan our Secret Service RNC coordinator and our partners have put in place, which we have reviewed and strengthened in the wake of Saturday’s shooting.”
