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WATCH: House Hearing Devolves Into Shouting Match Between Acting Secret Service Director, GOP Lawmaker

By CONGRESS

A heated exchange erupted into a shouting match on Capitol Hill Thursday between Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe and Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX) during a hearing on assassination attempts against President-elect Donald Trump and Secret Service security failures. The confrontation began when Fallon asked Rowe if he recognized a photo of him standing behind President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance, and others at a New York 9/11 ceremony.

Rowe, who became acting Secret Service director after Kimberly Cheatle resigned amid criticism over the security failure related to the attempted assassination of Trump, confirmed that he recognized the photo and identified it as being from an event at Ground Zero. When Fallon asked who in security is typically closest to the president during such events, Rowe responded that it would be the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the detail, according to video of the exchange. “Were you the special agent in charge of the detail that day?” queried Fallon.



“Actually, let me address this — could you please, staff, leave — oh, no leave the one up with the circle around me. Thank you — so actually, congressman, what you’re not seeing is the SAC of the detail out of the picture’s view. And that is the day where we remember the more than 3,000 people that have died on 9/11. I actually responded to Ground Zero, I was there going through the ashes of the World Trade Center. I was there at Fresh Kills [landfill] —” Rowe said. Fallon interrupted Rowe, shouting, “I’m not asking you that!” Rowe quickly retorted, raising his voice, and said he was there to “show respect” for the Secret Service member who was killed on 9/11. “That’s a bunch of horse hockey,” Fallon exclaimed.

The tense exchange escalated as Rowe and Fallon accused each other of playing politics. Rowe called Fallon “out of line,” while Fallon fired back, demanding the witness not “bully” him. Task Force Chairman Mike Kelly (R-PA) intervened, repeatedly banging his gavel in an attempt to restore order. “Do you know why you were there?” Fallon said. “Because you wanted to be visible because you’re auditioning for this job that you’re not going to get. You endangered President Biden’s life, Vice President Harris’ life because you put those agents out of position. Did you have a radio with you? Did you wear a vest? Did you have a weapon? No.” Rowe shouted back: “I did, sir, and you are out of line.”

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After the hearing, Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram asked Fallon about the altercation. The Texas Republican stated that the shouting match was “on the director because he started screaming” and refused to answer questions. Fallon later emphasized that he believed Rowe had positioned himself behind both Biden and Trump at the 9/11 ceremony as part of a “vanity project,” suggesting that Rowe was “auditioning for the job.”





Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.