Testimony of Acting Director Ronald L. Rowe, Jr., Before the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

Published By: U.S. Secret Service Media Relations

Published Date: 2024-07-30

Good morning, Chairman Peters, Chairman Durbin, Ranking Member Paul, Ranking Member Graham, and distinguished Members of the Committees. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today.

A critical part of the Secret Service mission is protecting our nation’s current and former government leaders. The attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump on Saturday, July 13, 2024, at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was a failure on multiple levels.

I join you and all Americans in condemning the horrific assault on former President Trump, Corey Comperatore, James Copenhaver, and David Dutch. I extend my deepest sympathies to the Comperatore family and my sincere wishes for Mr. Copenhaver and Mr. Dutch’s continued recovery. These Americans were attacked while participating in our open and free democratic process—a process that represents the greatest ideals on which our country was founded.

Before I begin, I want to commend the heroic actions of the men and women of the Secret Service on July 13. Our special agents shielded the former President with their bodies while shots were still being fired, selflessly willing to make the ultimate sacrifice without hesitation. I am extremely proud of these actions and those taken by the counter sniper team and the tactical teams.

I would also like to express my gratitude to our federal, State, and local partners. We rely on these critical relationships, which have developed over decades of daily collaboration, to secure protective events and conduct criminal investigations. These dedicated men and women help strengthen our protective and investigative mission.