Quick Hit:

Republican Senators confronted Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, seeking answers about the agency's failure to protect former President Donald Trump from an assassination attempt.

Key Details:

• Republican Senators Marsha Blackburn, John Barrasso, James Lankford, and Kevin Cramer confronted Cheatle.
• The confrontation occurred Wednesday evening at the convention, four days after the attack.
• The suspect, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was flagged as suspicious over an hour before the attack.
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Diving Deeper:

At the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, a group of Republican senators confronted Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle regarding the agency’s failure to protect former President Donald Trump from an assassination attempt. The confrontation, which occurred Wednesday evening, involved Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Barrasso (R-WY), James Lankford (R-OK), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND).

Sen. Barrasso described the encounter in a video, stating, “Sen. Blackburn and I just went face to face with the director of the Secret Service asking for specific answers about what happened with President Trump in Pennsylvania and how that shooter was able to get off a clear shot.” The senators questioned Cheatle in public, demanding answers about the incident that took place four days prior.

Despite their persistent questioning, Cheatle attempted to evade the senators, eventually breaking away by taking an escalator upstairs. Sen. Blackburn remarked, “Cheatle can run, but she can’t hide.” Some House lawmakers have called for Cheatle to resign or face losing her salary if she remains in office.

Earlier on Wednesday, Secret Service and FBI officials briefed House and Senate lawmakers in separate private sessions. The suspect, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was identified as suspicious more than an hour before he fired on Trump from a nearby rooftop. Sen. Barrasso detailed the situation, noting, “He was identified as a character of suspicion because [he had] a rangefinder as well as a backpack. And this was over an hour before the shooting actually occurred.”

A source familiar with the call told the Washington Examiner that the precise lead time was 62 minutes. Barrasso added, “So, you would think over the course of that hour, you shouldn’t lose sight of the individual. Somebody ought to be following up on those sorts of things. No evidence of that happening at all.”

The confrontation at the RNC highlights the ongoing concerns among Republican lawmakers about the effectiveness of the Secret Service in protecting high-profile figures, particularly in the wake of such a serious security lapse.