Rep. Mace calls 'bulls---' on response from Secret Service Director Cheatle
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., told Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on Monday that her response that she had "no idea" how her opening statement for today’s House Oversight Committee hearing on the Trump rally shooting got leaked to media agencies is "bulls---."
The fiery remark from the South Carolina lawmaker came after Cheatle was directed by Mace to answer a series of yes or no questions on the Secret Service’s response to the attempted assassination of former President Trump in Pennsylvania, in which Cheatle said "yes" to it being a "colossal failure," and a tragedy that could have been prevented.
"Would you say leaking your opening statement to Punchbowl News, Politico’s Playbook and Washington Post several hours before you sent it to this committee as being political? Yes or no?" Mace asked Cheatle.
"I have no idea how my statement got out," Cheatle responded, to which Mace replied, "Well, that’s bulls---."
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Mace started mentioning news articles published between 5 and 7 a.m. ET, about three to four hours before she said the House Oversight Committee received Cheatle's statement.
Mace then asked Cheatle, "Have you provided all audio and video recordings in your possession to this committee, as we asked on July 15? Yes or no?"
"I would have to get back to you," Cheatle said.
"That is a no. You're full of s-- today. You're just being completely dishonest," Mace told Cheatle, before being interrupted with a call for decorum inside the hearing room at the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill.
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"You are being dishonest or lying. You're being dishonest here with this committee," Mace then continued. "These are important questions that the American people want answers to. And you're just, you're just dodging and talking around it in generalities. And we had to subpoena you to be here. And you won't even answer the questions. We have asked you repeatedly to answer our questions. This isn't hard. These are not hard questions."
Mace told Fox News on Monday outside the hearing room where Cheatle was testifying that she is "not taking any of this seriously," and that "it's almost like she's unafraid to get fired, which is the problem."
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"She wouldn't answer our questions. These are very basic questions," Mace said. "She couldn't even answer the question of how many Secret Service agents were even on site that day. It's complete and total bulls---."
Fox News’ Kelly Phares contributed to this report.