Tipsheet

Why Is the Acting Secret Service Director Heaping Praise on Mayorkas?

When former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, resigned in disgrace after the first assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump in July, she was replaced by Acting Director Ronald Rowe. 

At the time of her departure, Cheatle was praised by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas -- despite the catastrophic security failure that led to Trump being shot and narrowly escaping death. Just a month earlier, Mayorkas was voted in contempt by the U.S. House. 

"I am grateful to Kimberly Cheatle for her leadership as the Director of the United States Secret Service and for her lifelong devotion to our country," Mayorkas said. "I am proud to have worked with Director Cheatle and we are all grateful for her service."

Two months later, we still don't have answers about exactly what happened on July 13, 2024 or why Trump's assassin was allowed to climb up on an unsecured roof with a rifle, less than 200 yards from the stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, and take his shots -- wounding Trump, two rally goers and killing 50-year-old Corey Comperatore. Even top Democrats are fed up with Mayorkas' lack of cooperation and stonewalling of the investigation. 

After the second assassination attempt against Trump on Sunday, when a man with a rifle was discovered hiding on the golf course where the former president was playing, Rowe heaped praise on Mayorkas.

"Secretary Mayorkas whose support in making sure that we're getting what we need has been phenomenal. He is one of our biggest champions and our advocate," Rowe said during a press conference Sunday. 

Given then lack of cooperation from Mayorkas with Congress, the question is, why so much praise from Rowe? And can we count on him to be transparent in the investigation of the second assassination attempt against Trump in just two months?