The acting director of the U.S. Secret Service and a Texas congressman got into a screaming match Thursday during a hearing on the agency’s failures leading to two assassination attempts against President-elect Donald Trump.
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe shouted at Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, after the GOP lawmaker lambasted the service for security lapses that made Trump a target of two failed shooting attempts.
The outburst happened after Fallon showed a picture of Presidents Biden and Trump at a 9/11 commemoration ceremony this year and suggested that as the Special Agent in Charge of that detail, Rowe should have been close enough to Biden to be in the picture. Rowe was not pictured.
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“Who is usually at an event like this closest to the President of the United States?” Fallon asked, pointing at the photo. “Were you the special agent in charge of the detail that day?”
Rowe said the security detail was present but out of view of the camera. As he spoke, he became enraged and accused Fallon of using 9/11 for political purposes.
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“That is the day where we remember more than 3,000 people that have died on 9/11. I actually responded to Ground Zero,” Rowe said. “I was there going through the ashes of the World Trade Center.”
“I’m not asking that, I’m asking you, if you were… were you the special agent in charge!?” Fallon interrupted, shouting at Rowe.
Rowe raised his voice in response. “I was there to show respect for a Secret Service member that died on 9/11!” he yelled back.
“Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes!” Rowe screamed at the lawmaker.
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“I’m not,” Fallon fired back, as the committee chairman demanded order and banged his gavel.
“You are, sir. You are out of line, congressman!” Rowe fumed. “Way out of line.”
Fallon then accused Rowe of “playing politics” by refusing to answer his question.
“I am a public servant who has served this nation,” Rowe retorted, saying he served on the nation’s “darkest day.”
“You will not politicize it!” Rowe thundered.
Outside the hearing room, Fallon told Fox News’ Chad Pergram that he had legitimate questions about why Rowe was there that day, suggesting that Rowe was auditioning for the job of full-time director by getting close to Biden and Trump that day.
“There’s no reason for him to be there. There isn’t. Try to find a place at a time in history where the Secret Service director was that close to the president at a function or event. I don’t think you could find it. So, yeah, I think he was auditioning for the job, a job that I don’t believe he’s going to get come Jan. 20. I have not talked to the president about that, but I suspect that they’re going to find much better people because we need to change the culture as well.”
WATCH FALLON’S INTERVIEW WITH FOX NEWS:
Fox News’ Jake Gibson contributed to this report.
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