WASHINGTON — The final hearing of the House of Representatives task force investigating the assassination attempts on Donald Trump descended into an explosive moment Thursday when the acting director of the U.S. Secret Service engaged in a shouting match with a Republican congressman.
During the hearing on Capitol Hill, Rep. Pat Fallon of Texas began his questioning by pressing Acting Director Ronald Rowe about the agency’s failure to provide Trump with adequate protection in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July.
Fallon then moved on to asking about Rowe’s performance at the annual September 11 memorial ceremony at Ground Zero. The congressman showed a large image of the event showing Rowe standing behind then-presidential candidate Trump, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, and then showed the same image, but with a large red circle around Rowe’s face.
Fallon asked Rowe which member of the Secret Service is usually closest to the president at such an event, to which Rowe replied that it is usually the special agent in charge of security.
“Were you the special agent in charge of the details that day?” Fallon asked.
Rep. Pat Fallon gets into a heated argument with Ronald Rowe Jr. on Thursday. during a hearing in the House of Representatives.
“So basically, Congressman, what you don’t see is the SAC of the details outside the field of view of the photo,” Rowe pointed out, referring to the Secret Service special agent in charge. “And that is the day on which we commemorate the more than 3,000 people who died on September 11.”
“I actually responded to Ground Zero,” Rowe said, raising her voice. “I was there when I went through the ashes of the World Trade Center. I was there at Fresh Kills.”
“I’m not asking you that!” Fallon shouted, interrupting Rowe as the director then shouted back where he was that day.
“I’m asking you, were you the SAC, were you the special agent in charge?” Fallon asked.
“I was there to pay respects to a Secret Service member who died on September 11!” Rowe shouted back as they all pointed their fingers at each other.
“Oh, that’s some horse hockey!” Fallon said.
“Don’t invoke 9/11 for political purposes!” Rowe shouted.
Ronald Rowe Jr. gets into a heated argument with Pat Fallon while testifying before the House Task Force on Tuesday.
“Don’t try to bully me,” Fallon warned as the task force chairman tried to bang his gavel to bring things into order, but was largely ignored. “I’m an elected member of Congress and I’m asking you a serious question, and you’re playing politics.”
“And I am a public servant who served this nation and served time on our country’s darkest day,” Rowe said before the congressman could complete his sentence. “Don’t politicize it!”
When asked again if he was the special agent in charge of the ceremony, Rowe said he was there to represent the U.S. Secret Service and that “this had no impact on protective operations.”
Fallon then accused Rowe of attending the event with the intention of being “visible” and said Rowe’s presence had “endangered President Biden’s life.” [and] Vice President Harris’ life” by removing officers “from their positions.”
‘Did you have a radio with you? Did you have a gun?’ Fallon asked.
“I was there to pay respects to a fallen member of this organization,” Rowe said again. “You’re going too far, Congressman! You’re going too far!’
Fallon’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lengthy outburst. After the hearing, Fallon accused Rowe of being confrontational.
“Well, that’s on the director because he started yelling and wouldn’t answer questions,” Fallon said. He repeated his accusation that Rowe was not supposed to be at the ceremony and had endangered the lives of Biden and Harris as part of a “vanity project” aimed at “auditioning” for his current position.
A Secret Service spokesman, Anthony Guglielmi, said in a statement that Rowe was invited to the September 11 ceremony “to honor the victims of that tragic day, including those Secret Service members who were killed.” present and had full access to their protectors during the commemoration.”
After the hearing, the task force held a business meeting to discuss the final report on its investigation. The panel’s interim report, which was publicly released in October, said the Secret Service failed to properly plan and coordinate with local law enforcement on the day of the Butler meeting in July.
That lack of cooperation led the gunman to climb onto the roof of a complex near Trump’s rally, allowing him to shoot and graze the former president and kill a rally attendee before being shot dead by police himself . staff.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
