OAN Staff Blake Wolf
11:17 AM – Thursday, December 5, 2024
Texas Rep. Pat Fallon engaged in a yelling match on Thursday with acting Secret Service director Ronald Rowe during a hearing regarding the U.S. Secret Services’ failures surrounding the two assassination attempts against President-elect Donald Trump.
The heated back-and-forth moment occurred after Fallon (R-Texas) first questioned Rowe’s positioning during the most recent 9/11 ceremony, showcasing a photo of President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and President-elect Donald Trump.
Fallon quickly accused Rowe of placing the Secret Service’s Special Agent in Charge (SAC) “out of position” in relation to his line of sight and shot, going against protocol, in order to get closer to Trump for a photo opportunity.
It is standard practice for the SAC to be near the president, which was not the case on this particular occasion, Fallon argued.
“Who is usually at an event like this closest to the President of the United States?” Fallon asked with the 9/11 ceremony photo behind him. “Were you the special agent in charge of the detail that day?”
“Actually congressman, what you’re not seeing is the SAC of the detail out of the picture’s view. And that is the day where we remember the more than 3,000 people that have died on 9/11. I actually responded to ground zero. I was there going through the ashes of the world trade center,” Rowe responded.
Soon after, the exchange exploded further, with both Fallon and Rowe both yelling at each other while the chairman began to demand order.
“I’m not asking that, I’m asking you, if you were … were you the special agent in charge!?” Fallon shouted, cutting Rowe off.
“I was there to show respect for a Secret Service member that died on 9/11!” Rowe thundered back. “Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes!”
“You are out of line congressman! Way out of line!” Rowe continued.
“Don’t try to bully me!” Fallon clapped back while pointing his finger at Rowe. “I am an elected member of congress and I’m asking you a serious question and you are playing politics.”
Fallon then accused Rowe of endangering Trump and President Biden in order to be “visible” for the photo, seemingly showing off and “auditioning” for Trump to appoint him as Secret Service director in his incoming administration.
“You know why you were there!? Because you wanted to be visible because you were auditioning for this job that you’re not gonna get on January 20th! You endangered President Biden’s life, Vice President Harris’s life because you put those agents out of position!” Fallon screamed.
Meanwhile, the recorded moment erupted online and soon became viral, prompting responses from social media users.
“That’s the most openly heated exchange in the hundreds of hours I’ve watched of hearings. What the agent’s job was in 2001 is irrelevant. He’s not fit to serve in 2024. Wrong temperament,” one user stated.
“Who the hell does this asshat think he is yelling at a seated congressman? This clown has no sense of decorum and no self control and HE’s running our Secret Service? This clown needs to be thrown out on his ear. No retirement and no pension. What a horrible representation of public servants,” another added.
Nevertheless, the meeting simmered down from that point on, and the discussion regarding the objective failure of the Secret Service to specifically protect Trump during the July Butler rally campaign event continued.
“The 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 protected and they rightly have that idea based on how we performed,” Rowe stated.
“When I traveled there, the day after I was named the acting director, and as I’m walking around and I’m up on the roof and I’m looking at the proximity of it to the site, I was taken aback that it was not secured,” Rowe added.
Rowe became the acting director of the Secret Service after Kimberly Cheatle resigned following the disastrous incompetence of the U.S. Secret Service being on full display at Trump’s Butler rally, which saw 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman, climb up on a roof and take multiple shots at Trump, almost taking his life.
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