Top Republican warns of 'rude awakening' if 'stonewalling' continues as Secret Service director faces hearing
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a member of the House Oversight Committee that will grill Cheatle on Monday, offered exclusive reaction to Fox News Digital.
A Republican member of the House Oversight Committee, who is expected to grill U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on Monday, said the overarching Department of Homeland Security will get a "rude awakening" if they continue to "stonewall" in regard to failures in the lead-up to the attempt on former President Trump's life.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital over the weekend that the bureaucracy cannot be allowed to shirk their duty to explain themselves to the American people when the hearing commences.
"I am looking forward to hearing from Director Cheatle this Monday and getting answers for the American people on the Secret Service's failure to take action that would have prevented the attempt on President Trump's life from happening," Luna said.
"I also would like to get answers on why Mayorkas' DHS tried to pull blatant bureaucratic stonewalling on us. They are not getting away with it, and we expect their full transparency."
Fox News Digital reached out to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' office for a response to the characterization, as the Homeland Security chief now faces dueling scrutiny over the failures at the Mexican border and within the Secret Service – which fall under his purview.
"They will get a rude awakening if they keep trying to block information from Congress and the American people," Luna added.
Cheatle was already confronted on the matter when she was spotted at the Republican National Convention by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.
"This was an assassination attempt, you owe the people answers, you owe President Trump answers," Blackburn called out to Cheatle, as Senate Republican Conference Committee Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo., shouted, "Stonewalling!"
Earlier this week, Mayorkas said he had "100% confidence" in Cheatle and her agency, while Republicans like Luna were nonplussed at the claim.
The Oversight Committee posted on X that Americans indeed are demanding answers about how a 20-year-old dietary aide from a Pittsburgh suburb was able to scale a nearby building and nearly kill Trump.
Trump narrowly escaped death by turning his head at just the right moment to view a graphic depicting what he called President Biden's failures on border security.
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Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in comments reported by CBS News on Friday that his agency is "committed to better understanding what happened before, during and after" Thomas Crooks' attempt to assassinate Trump – "to ensure it never happens again."
A spokesman for the Oversight Committee – which is led by Kentucky Republican James Comer – told Fox News that they issued a subpoena for Cheatle to prevent DHS from "backtrack[ing]" on agreeing to have her appear before his panel.
In a rare joint statement, Comer and Democratic ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland said Friday that Crooks' attack was a "grave assault on democracy" and that there is "no place for political violence of any kind in our great country."
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"Our Founders envisioned robust and spirited political debate in our nation, and we see that debate often in our Committee room. While we often have passionate disagreements about policies and investigative priorities, we are united in condemning all political violence and ensuring that America will prevent such a horrific event from ever happening again," they said of the upcoming hearing.
"Americans have many serious questions about the historic security failures that occurred at the campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle must appear before the House Oversight Committee without delay on Monday, July 22 to answer our many questions and provide the transparency and accountability that Americans deserve and that are at the foundation of our government."
Fox News' Emma Colton and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.