We take our responsibility incredibly seriously: US Secret Service amid flak after Trump's assassination bid

Republican and Democratic lawmakers are already demanding answers from the agency on the security posture and hearings on the incident.

After facing intense scrutiny in the wake of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, the US Secret Service on Monday stated that it was working with other agencies to understand what happened, how it.

“The Secret Service personnel on the ground moved quickly during the incident, with our counter sniper team neutralizing the shooter and our agents implementing protective measures to ensure the safety of former president Donald Trump,” stated US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle in a statement published by the agency on its website.

Cheatle said she has been in constant contact with Secret Service personnel in Pennsylvania who worked to maintain the integrity of the crime scene until the FBI assumed its role as the lead investigating agency into the assassination attempt. “I have also been coordinating with the protective detail for former President Trump and have briefed President Biden on the details of the incident,” she said.

The Secret Service agents who were there for Trump’s protection at the Pennsylvania rally are being called out for their failure during the shooting. Cheatle is taking the heat as calls mounted for her resignation. The critics blamed the chief for being too engrossed in side policies to focus on her actual duty at hand.

However, Cheatle said the Secret Service is tasked with the “tremendous responsibility of protecting the current and former leaders of our democracy”. “It is a responsibility that I take incredibly seriously, and I am committed to fulfilling that mission,” she said.

President Joe Biden said he has directed US Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle “to review all security measures – all security measures – for the Republican National Convention”.

“I’ve directed an independent review of national security at yesterday’s rally to assess exactly what happened. And I’ll share the results of that independent review with the American people,” Biden said.

Law enforcement sources said that part of the aftermath will include a review of whether the Secret Service had enough assets to protect Trump days ahead of officially becoming the Republican presidential nominee and whether procedures were followed to conduct security sweeps of the building that offered a vantage point for the alleged shooter, according to a CNN report.