US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on Monday issued her first statement since the attempted assassination of Donald Trump on Saturday.
Read the full statement below:
“I want to begin by expressing my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Corey Comperatore, who was killed Saturday during the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, and to those injured in this senseless act of violence.
Secret Service personnel on the ground responded quickly to the incident. Our anti-sniper team took out the shooter and our agents took protective measures to ensure the safety of former President Donald Trump.
Since the shooting, I have been in constant contact with Secret Service personnel in Pennsylvania who worked to maintain the integrity of the crime scene until the FBI assumed its role as the lead investigative agency into the attempted assassination. I have also worked with the protective detail for former President Trump and have briefed President Biden on the details of the incident.
The Secret Service is working with all relevant federal, state, and local agencies to understand what happened, how it happened, and how we can prevent an incident like this from ever happening again. We understand the importance of the independent review announced yesterday by President Biden and will participate fully in it. We will also cooperate with the relevant congressional committees on any oversight actions.
The incident in Pennsylvania has understandably raised questions about possible security updates or changes for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. The U.S. Secret Service, in collaboration with our federal, state, and local law enforcement and public safety partners, designs operational security plans for National Special Security Events (NSSE) that are dynamic to respond to a kinetic security environment and the latest intelligence from our partners.
I am confident in the security plan that our Secret Service RNC coordinator and partners have put in place, which we have revised and strengthened following Saturday’s shooting. Security plans for National Special Security Events are designed to be flexible. As the conventions progress and in accordance with the President’s guidance, the Secret Service will continually adapt our operations to ensure the highest level of safety and security for convention attendees, volunteers, and the city of Milwaukee. In addition to the additional security enhancements we provided to former President Trump’s details in June, we have also made changes to his security details since Saturday to ensure his continued protection for the convention and the remainder of the campaign.
The Secret Service has a tremendous responsibility to protect the current and former leaders of our democracy. It is a responsibility I take incredibly seriously, and I am committed to fulfilling that mission.”