Explosive Showdown: Secret Service Chief and GOP Lawmaker Face Off in High-Stakes Trump Hearing

The accusation stemmed from Rowe’s attendance at a 9/11 memorial event alongside the nation’s top leaders, sparking a tense shouting match.

By Sheenu Gupta On Dec 6, 2024 Share with new partner:

A bipartisan task force hearing investigating assassination attempts against President-elect Donald Trump turned heated when Republican Representative Pat Fallon accused acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe of “playing politics.” The accusation stemmed from Rowe’s attendance at a 9/11 memorial event alongside the nation’s top leaders, sparking a tense shouting match.

Tensions erupted during a hearing of the bipartisan task force investigating assassination attempts on President-elect Donald Trump when Republican Representative Pat Fallon confronted acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe.

The argument began after Fallon presented a photo showing a 9/11 memorial event held in New York City in September, which featured President Trump, President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Vice President-elect JD Vance. In the photo, Rowe was seen standing in the second row, directly behind Harris, who was a presidential candidate at the time.

Fallon, representing Texas, pointed to the image and asked Rowe, “Who is usually, at an event like this, closest to the president of the United States, security-wise?” Rowe responded by identifying the special agent in charge (SAC) of security, who typically plays a key role in protecting the president at such events. Fallon then pressed Rowe further, questioning whether he was serving in that capacity at the 9/11 memorial.

Rowe did not directly answer the question. Instead, he explained that the person Fallon referred to, the SAC, was not visible in the photo because he was just out of frame. Rowe added that his presence at the memorial was a gesture of respect for the Secret Service officers who had died on 9/11.

He further emphasized the significance of the day, stating, “That is the day where we remember the more than 3,000 who have died on 9/11.” Rowe also shared that he had personally responded to Ground Zero and was involved in the recovery efforts, going through the ashes at the World Trade Center after the attacks. Despite his explanation, the exchange became increasingly heated as both sides argued their positions.

As the confrontation escalated, acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe sharply criticized Representative Pat Fallon, accusing him of politicizing the tragedy of 9/11. Rowe firmly told Fallon, “Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes,” as tensions continued to rise.

Fallon, visibly frustrated by Rowe’s refusal to answer his questions directly, fired back, calling Rowe’s explanation “a bunch of horse hockey.” The congressman, standing his ground, confronted Rowe, warning him not to “try to bully me.” Fallon, adamant in his stance, reminded Rowe of his authority, stating, “I am an elected member of Congress and I’m asking you a serious question, and you are playing politics.” This exchange marked a heated turning point in the debate, with both sides standing firm in their positions.

The heated exchange between acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe and Representative Pat Fallon escalated further as Rowe defiantly responded to Fallon’s accusations.

Rowe shouted back, asserting, “And I am a public servant who has served this nation and spent time on our country’s darkest day. Do not politicize it.” His words were a strong rebuttal to Fallon’s questioning, as Rowe sought to defend both his actions and the importance of respecting 9/11.

Rowe continued to justify his attendance at the 9/11 memorial, stating that his presence there was to represent the Secret Service, and emphasized that it had not interfered with the security operations in place. However, Fallon was unrelenting in his critique, accusing Rowe of attending the memorial for personal visibility. “Do you know why you were there?

Because you wanted to be visible because you’re auditioning for this job that you’re not going to get,” Fallon shouted. Fallon continued to make serious accusations, claiming that Rowe had jeopardized the safety of President Biden and Vice President Harris by putting agents in a compromised position. He pressed Rowe with pointed questions, asking, “Did you have a radio with you? Did you wear a vest? Did you have a weapon?”

In response to these aggressive questions, Rowe repeatedly told Fallon he was “out of line,” trying to regain control of the situation.

Rowe’s appearance before the bipartisan task force was in the context of an investigation into security failures during an assassination attempt on President-elect Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, earlier in the year. Rowe had been appointed as acting director of the Secret Service after Kimberly Cheatle resigned in July following intense scrutiny over her agency’s handling of the situation. It is expected that Trump will nominate a permanent director once he assumes office in January.

At the hearing, Rowe addressed the shortcomings in security that allowed the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, to position himself on a rooftop near Trump during the rally. The shooting resulted in injuries to Trump and two other attendees, and one person was killed. In his opening statement, Rowe acknowledged the failure in securing the rally site, stating, “July 13 was a failure of the Secret Service to adequately secure the Butler Farm Show site and protect President-elect Trump.”

He continued, “That abject failure underscored critical gaps in Secret Service operations, and I recognize that we did not meet the expectations of the American public, Congress, and our protectees, and they rightly have that idea based on how we performed.” Rowe’s admission of the mistakes marked a moment of accountability for the Secret Service, which had faced criticism for its handling of the security breach.