Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has finally resigned 10 days after the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump. But Glenn says, "that should not close this case by any stretch of the imagination." Glenn and Pat discuss Cheatle's resignation and her disastrous testimony to the House Oversight Committee the day before.
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: The head of the Secret Service is resigning. Or appears to be resigning. But that should not close this case by any stretch of the imagination.
Pat and I want to go over some of the audio from yesterday. Let's start with Comer, with Cheatle struggling to answer any of his questions. Cut 11.
VOICE: At any point Saturday did the Secret Service have an agent on top of that roof?
KIM: Sir, I'm sure as you can imagine, that we are just nine days out from this incident, and there's still an ongoing investigation. And so I want to make sure that any information that we are providing is factual.
VOICE: Okay. Why did the Secret Service not -- can you answer why the Secret Service didn't place a single agent on the roof?
KIM: We are still looking into the advance process and the decisions that were made.
VOICE: Okay. Okay.
Wasn't that building, within the perimeter that should be secured? Do we agree with that?
KIM: The building was outside of the perimeter on the day of the visit. But, again, that is one of the things that during the investigation, we want to take a look at and determine whether or not other decisions should have been made.
VOICE: One of the things that you said, I believe in an interview, that there wasn't an agent on the roof, because it was a sloped roof. Is that -- is that normal?
And to a fear that that immediately creates an opportunity for future would-be assassins to look for a slanted roof?
I mean, this is a huge question that every American has.
Why wasn't a Secret Service agent on the roof.
And there have been reports that agents were supposed to be on the roof. And it was hot that day. And they didn't want to be on the roof. Can you answer any of those questions, Director?
KIM: Sir, I appreciate you asking me that question, Chairman.
I should have been more clear in my answer, when I spoke about where we placed personnel in that interview.
What I can tell you, is that there was a plan in place to provide overwatch. And we are still looking into responsibilities, and who was going to provide overwatch.
But the Secret Service in general, not speaking specifically to this incident, when we are providing overwatch, whether that be through countersnipers or other technology, prefer to have sterile rooftops.
VOICE: Did the Secret Service use any drones for surveillance that day?
KIM: Sir, I will not get into specifics of that day --
GLENN: Stop. She couldn't answer anything yesterday. Not one thing.
PAT: No.
GLENN: If you were the head of the Secret Service. It's been over a week now, you're the head of the Secret Service, you walk into people's office, the minute that happens and say, I want answers right now.
PAT: Who was in charge of oversight? Right?
It takes two minutes to find that out. Come on. It doesn't take ten days to find that out.
GLENN: Right. We're still looking into that. Are we?
Now, she had a problem with Jim Jordan as well.
Here's cut 20.
VOICE: Take to the president and the First Lady?
KIM: No, I have not.
VOICE: Talk to the White House staff, anyone in White House communications?
KIM: No. I have not.
VOICE: Have you talked to the countersniper that took the shot that took out the bad guy?
KIM: Yes, I have.
VOICE: And can you tell us about that conversation?
KIM: I would not want to reveal conversations that I've had with my employees.
PAT: Oh, jeez.
VOICE: But that's exactly the kind of information the American people want to know. The American people who pay your salary.
KIM: I understand. This is an ongoing investigation --
VOICE: Who is all doing the investigating at the Secret Service?
I know the inspector general, but is there also an internal investigation in addition to the inspector general?
KIM: We are conducting a mission assurance investigation internally, yes.
VOICE: You know what it looks like, director? It looks like you won't answer some pretty basic questions. It looks like you got a 9 percent raise, and you cut corners when it came to protecting one of the most important individuals. The most well-known individuals on the planet.
A former president, likely the guy who is going to be the next president, looks like you guys were cutting corners. That's what it looks like to me.
PAT: Hmm.
GLENN: Let's go to Cut 27. Here's Andy Biggs.
VOICE: Your agency has a no-fail mission. And on Saturday, July 13th, your agency spectacularly failed.
The failure resulted in the death of Corey Comperatore, and serious injury to two other rally attendees, David Dutch and James Copenhaver, besides the injuries to President Trump.
It's unfathomable, that a 20-year-old on the radar of Secret Service and local law enforcement before President Trump went on stage, was able to climb on to the roof of a building with a rifle.
And fire off multiple rounds before he was neutralized.
Was Mr. Crooks acting alone?
KIM: Again, I would have to refer to the FBI's investigation.
VOICE: Was he just a lone gunman?
KIM: I would have to refer you to the FBI's investigation for motive.
GLENN: That's not motive. That's asking, she revealed something there, on motive.
Don't you think?
Of us he acting alone? You'll have to talk to them about motive. Well, wait. No, that's a different answer.
PAT: That doesn't seem to go to motive. So that's interesting.
GLENN: No. Yeah. AOC.
I mean, the left was tearing her apart as well. Here is AOC cut seven.
VOICE: So the notion of a report coming out in 60 days, when the threat environment is so high in the United States, irrespective of party is not acceptable. And I think it's very important to understand that.
This is not theater. This is not about jockeying. This is about the safety of some of the most highly targeted and valued targets. Internationally and domestically.
In the United States of America.
So the idea that a report will be finalized in 60 days, let alone prior to any actionable decisions that would be made, is simply not acceptable.
It has been ten days since an assassination attempt on a former president of the United States.
Regardless of party. There needs to be answers.
PAT: Wow. Felt a little --
GLENN: That's the best thing I think I've ever heard her say.
PAT: Oh, by far. By far.
Felt a little bipartisan there, yesterday, a little bit. Didn't it.
GLENN: It did. Because as we've been saying on this show forever.
The president of the United States. The current one. If he's not dead already.
PAT: Yeah.
GLENN: You know, he's in danger.
Kamala Harris is in danger.
RFK is in danger.
We cannot have a -- a slew of assassination attempts.
PAT: Yeah.
GLENN: Can't! God forbid one of them die, it will tear this country apart!
Here's another Democrat. This is Moskowitz from Florida. Democrat to Cheatle.
Cut ten.
VOICE: Director, I just want to give you an honest assessment of how this is going for you today. Did you happen to catch the hearing many months ago, in education, where there were a bunch of university professor, university presidents and Elise Stefanik asked a very easy question and couldn't get an answer?
Did you see that hearing?
KIM: No, I don't think I did.
VOICE: Okay. Well, let me tell you, it didn't go well.
And the short end of that story was, those university professors all resigned. They're gone. That's how this is going for you. This is where this is headed. Okay?
This is -- I don't know who prepared you for this. I don't know how many times you've testified in front of Congress, but a president was almost assassinated live on television, not just for Americans. But for the world, to see.
And this being your first opportunity. I understand there's an ongoing investigation.
I understand there are things that you can not talk about. But the -- the idea that we're getting less than you did, on television, is something that Democrats, independents, and Republicans are going to find unacceptable.
GLENN: Uh-huh.
Now, there was Nancy Mace, who was a little more plainspoken. Cut 12.
VOICE: Was this a colossal failure?
KIM: It was a failure.
VOICE: Yes or no? Was it a colossal failure is the question. Yes or no.
VOICE: I have admitted --
VOICE: This is a yes or no series of questions. Was this a colossal failure? Yes or no?
KIM: Yes.
VOICE: Have you provided a list to the oversight committee? Yes or no?
KIM: I will have to get back to you on that.
VOICE: That is a no. Have you provided all audio and video recordings in your possession to this committee, as we asked on July 15th? Yes or no?
KIM: I would have to get back to you.
VOICE: That is a no! You're full of (bleep) today. You're being completely dishonest.
GLENN: Love that.
And then we have Representative Fallon, who said this to Cheatle, cut 13.
VOICE: You know what else is dangerous? I believe your horrifying ineptitude, and your lack of skilled leadership is a disgrace. Your obfuscating today is shameful.
And you should be fired immediately. Go back to guarding Doritos.
(laughter)
PAT: She used to work security at Pepsi. That's why she was guarding Doritos. That's great.
(laughter)
GLENN: Yeah. I found that amazing. When the assassination first happened. I looked her up.
And I'm like, where did she come from?
And I saw she was head of security from Pepsi. And I'm like, you've got to be kidding me.
You're now the head of the Secret Service?
PAT: Well, how many Doritos, do you know were killed during her watch? None. None.
GLENN: None.
PAT: Not a single Doritos was murdered while she was there.
GLENN: And especially all those Coke lovers out there. That just want to knock off cans of Pepsi. She had her job cut out for her.
PAT: She did. She did.
GLENN: It was very difficult.
Oh, my gosh. Now, here's what I'm afraid of. That this is going to stop this investigation.
Because it can't. It cannot stop this investigation.
She has -- she -- we have to know what her device is. What's on her devices.
Why was she using signal when talking to the White House, from her own personal phone?
That's against the law. Did the White House know that that was happening? What were they talking about?
That's really important, to find out.
PAT: Uh-huh.
GLENN: And I -- I think everybody on that Secret Service detail, should be brought in front of Congress, and have to answer themselves.
You know, it's one thing to be told, shut up. Sit down. Shut up. Don't say anything.
It's another, when you're going to be blamed for it. On national television.
So are you telling me, when you went and you surveyed the site, that didn't occur to you, that that was a big problem?
That you should have somebody secure of that. Is that what you wrote down in your report? Is that --
PAT: But --
GLENN: You should be fired right now.
PAT: They couldn't, Glenn. Because there was a slope. It was hot.
And we were -- this is just breaking. The sun was in their eyes.
GLENN: What kind of pussywillows do we have on the -- I mean, that's what we should call the Secret Service presidential detail, the Pussywillows. We're out here. It's hot. I don't know.
PAT: I don't want to get on a sloped roof. There's a 3 percent grade there. I'm not getting out there!
(laughter)
I mean, come on.
GLENN: It's unbelievable.
PAT: You didn't exactly have to be a mountain goat to navigate that roof. It's almost flat.
GLENN: Unbelievable. No. No. You really didn't. You really didn't.
PAT: Oh, man.
GLENN: I mean, it is -- it is their -- they're just -- I question the manhood of every single person, that was on the Secret Service detail. Or on the local detail, if they were like, it's hot!
It's very hot.
PAT: Right.
GLENN: Who do we have Dylan Mulvaney out?
Dylan, you watch the roof. Okay. But girl power.
I'm not going to walk on that roof. It's hot and sloped.
PAT: And I'm on my heels today. I'm in my heels. I'm not doing it. All right. Okay.
