Ted Cruz yells at USSS Chief Ronald Rowe for 'interrupting' him amid questions on Trump's shooting

By Juna Tharakan
Published on : 12:54 PST, Jul 30, 2024

Senator Ted Cruz accused USSS acting director Ronald Rowe of being politically biased for allowing attempted assassination on Donald Trump (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: Ted Cruz strongly criticized acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr for not directly answering his questions during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, July 30.

Rowe, who recently assumed the role of acting director following Kimberly Cheatle's resignation, testified during the hearing centered on the security failures that led to the assassination attempt against former Donald Trump and fatal shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 30: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) questions acting U.S. Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. and Deputy Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Paul Abbate during a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security and Government Affairs committees in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. Senators grilled the law enforcement officials about the events leading to the July 13 attempted assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump, days before he accepted the Republican presidential nomination for the third time. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) — Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) thrashed US Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr for dodging questions during a Senate Judiciary Committee (Getty Images)

Sen Ted Cruz accuses Ronald Rowe of political bias

Ted Cruz accused Ronald Rowe of making politically motivated decisions, particularly regarding the security details provided to Donald Trump compared to those of President Joe Biden.

“I believe that the Secret Service leadership made a political decision to deny these requests. And I think the Biden administration has been suffused with partisan politics,” said the Republican Texas Senator.

“Did the same person who denied the request for additional security to President Trump also repeatedly deny the requests for security to Robert F Kennedy Jr, whose father was murdered by an assassin and whose uncle was murdered by an assassin? Did the same person make that decision?” Cruz asked.

“Senator, what I will tell you is that Secret Service agents are not political,” responded Rowe.

Ronald Rowe responds to RFK Jr's security denial

Despite requestion protection beforehand, independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr did not receive Secret Service protection from Joe Biden until after the assassination attempt against Donald Trump.

Cruz then stated that leadership appointed by the president is "political."

“I have a simple question: yes or no. Did the same person deny the Trump request that also denied the RFK request? That’s a yes or no question,” asked Cruz.

“Senator, that is not a yes or no question. One, there’s a process for a candidate nominee to receive protection. That is a bicameral, bipartisan process," responded Rowe.

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 30: Acting U.S. Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr.'s glasses are fogged as he testifies before a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security and Government Affairs committees in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. Senators grilled Rowe and Deputy Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Paul Abbate about the events leading to the July 13 attempted assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump, days before he accepted the Republican presidential nomination for the third time. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) — Acting US Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr testified before a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security and Government Affairs committees on July 30 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

Sen Ted Cruz and Ronald Rowe's tense exchange

Ted Cruz became furious when Ronald Rowe tried to justify why Joe Biden would naturally have a larger Secret Service detail compared to a former president like Donald Trump, according to Mediaite.

"That's what you asked me, senator, and I'm trying to answer it," said Rowe.

"You are not answering it! Is it the same number of agents or not?" exclaimed Cruz.

"Senator, there is a difference between the sitting president of the United States. There are other assets that travel with the president that the former president will not get," insisted the USSS acting director.

"Sir, you are refusing to answer straight! Sir, stop interrupting, stop interrupting me!" yelled Cruz.

Previously, Secret Service whistleblowers indicated that limited resources during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Washington, DC, and First Lady Jill Biden’s campaign rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, impacted their ability to protect Trump.

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