- The House Assassination task force met for their final hearing on Thursday
An impassioned shouting match between Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe and a Republican lawmaker broke out during a hearing on Donald Trump’s first assassination attempt.
Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) struck a nerve when he pressed Rowe about security measures in place to protect Trump, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
It led to a bitter back-and-forth between the two men at the hearing on Thursday that was supposed to be focused on the security failures leading to the deadly shooting at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July.
But it quickly turned to what Fallon considered to be another Secret Service security problem two months later on September 11.
Fallon said Rowe and his agents should have been stationed physically closer to both Trump, Biden and Harris when they all attended a 9/11 commemoration event at Ground Zero.
When asked about why he was out of range, Rowe insisted that he was just outside of view.
‘That is the day that we remember the more than 3,000 people that have died on 9/11,’ Rowe said, starting to raise his voice.
‘I actually responded to Ground Zero. I was there going through the ashes of the World Trade Center,’ Rowe went on.
Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) got into a heated screaming match with U.S. Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe during the House Assassination Task Force hearing on Thursday
‘Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes, congressman,’ Rowe yelled at Fallon over a barrage of cross-shouting after the lawmaker displayed an image of the Acting Director at the Ground Zero service this year
When Fallon tried to cut in, Rowe did not back down, causing the congressman to begin shouting.
‘I’m not asking you that. I’m asking you were you the special agent in charge?! You were not,’ Fallon charged.
‘Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes, congressman,’ Rowe was heard yelling over a barrage of cross-shouting.
‘I’m trying to ask a question. Don’t try to bully me!’ Fallon screamed and pointed at the witness.
‘You are, sir. You are out of line, congressman!’ Rowe fired back. ‘Way out of line.’
President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump, his then-running mate Sen. J.D. Vance, Sen. Chuck Schumer and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg were all standing together in a line for the 9/11 service in Manhattan this year.
It was just months after two separate assassination attempts on Trump – including the too-close-for-comfort call in Butler, Pennsylvania where a bullet grazed the then-candidate’s right ear when he was on stage for a rally.
The picture that caused the visceral reaction from Acting Director Rowe showed the lineup of the USSS most important protectees
The-Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned her post in the midst of blowback for the assassination attempt. Rowe was elevated to USSS Acting Director.
The bipartisan House Assassination Task Force was created to investigate the failures that allowed a would-be assassin to get just a few hundred feet from the former president while he was campaigning for a second term.
Rowe, despite not being in charge the day of the assassination attempt in July, is now left to face questions Congress has about the security failures and what is being done to fix them now.
Thursday is the final meeting of the task force.
