War of words at Trump assassination hearing

Acting Director of the US Secret Service Ronald Rowe and Texas Congressman Pat Fallon loudly criticized each other during a hearing on security breaches related to two failed assassination attempts on Mr. Donald Trump.

Ronald Rowe yelled at Rep. Fallon after the Republican lawmaker criticized the Secret Service for security lapses that led to Donald Trump being the target of two assassination attempts during his presidential campaign, Fox News reported at the hearing on December 5.

The tension peaked when Mr. Fallon showed a photo of a ceremony in September to honor the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Based on the photo, Mr. Fallon said Mr. Rowe was standing too close to US President Joe Biden, while the person who should be standing there, the head of the US Secret Service security team, was not present. The Texas congressman implied that Mr. Rowe was making moves to win the position of US Secret Service Director.

Mr. Ronald Rowe at the US House of Representatives hearing on December 5.

Ronald Rowe said the security chief was there but not in the frame, shouting: “Don’t use 9/11 for political purposes.”

“I didn’t do that,” Mr. Fallon retorted, but Acting Director Rowe continued: “You did, and you went too far, Senator. It was too much.” The exchange of words forced the chair of the hearing to bang his gavel for order.

Mr. Rowe added that he was deployed to respond to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and he was present at the event in September to commemorate the members of the US Secret Service who died.

Mr. Trump is about to have his first foreign visit after being elected.

Outside the hearing room, Rep. Fallon told Fox News he had legitimate reasons to question Rowe’s presence at the ceremony, noting that Secret Service directors have never been so close to the president at events before. Ronald Rowe took over as acting director after Kimberly Cheatle resigned following Trump’s assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in July.

Donald Trump was assassinated on July 13 while campaigning in Butler, Pennsylvania. In September, he was targeted again when a suspect opened fire on the area where Trump was golfing in Florida. At a hearing on December 5, Mr. Rowe admitted that the attack showed the Secret Service’s failure to meet its expectations and responsibilities, directly leading to the death of one person on July 13. After Mr. Rowe’s testimony, the panel at the hearing voted unanimously to submit its final report to the entire House.

On December 5, the second and final hearing of the special group set up to investigate security failures in the failed assassination attempts on Mr. Trump will take place and will issue a final report.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/khau-chien-tai-phien-dieu-tran-vu-am-sat-ong-trump-185241206065545415.htm