Don Bongino, a former Secret Service agent, says Kimberly Cheatle, the agency’s director, should resign immediately for her “apocalyptic security failure” after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, even as the agency defends its security protocol. Bongino, who served 12 years in the Secret Service and is now a podcast host, was responding to a statement from the agency, claiming it had “added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo.” Appearing on Fox News’ Fox & Friends program Bongino said, "There's only one entity out there that saved Donald Trump's life and it pains me to tell you guys this, you know who that is? It's Donald Trump." "If he moves his head an inch to the left or right, guys, this is a really different show today. I mean, this is, it's bad enough we have to do this show about this topic. Can you imagine what would have happened if Donald Trump did not duck?” "I'm hearing that were very, very few...actual Secret Service posted there at that site, that they were temp HSI, Homeland Security folks, which are, they're great folks, I'm not knocking them, but that's not what they do, specifically. We do protection [in secret service] and we're trained for that," Bongino said.."Looking at the stage there, I'm speculating but I'm pretty sure based on experience that the bunting around the front of the stage is probably armour. Donald Trump knew to duck. Most people would. He saved his own life. That's just a fact.” “The Secret Service director completely failed and should resign today.” "Where the hell was the aerial visual support? Why was there no helicopter? Why was there no drone? Why was there no...thermal, forward looking infrared? How the hell is the crowd acting as the freaking counter-surveillance operation?"In a Fox TV interview, Cheatle acknowledged “the buck stops with me” adding she has no intention of resigning. Bongino said the evacuation of Trump from the stage “did not go right.” “The rule of the secret service is to cover the protected and evacuate,” he said. “The other rule is maximum (effort) to the protectee, minimum (effort) to the problem. Why minimum to the problem? Because you don't know that's the only problem. It could be a distraction.” “There could be another person in the crowd. If the you don't jump on the protectee, you could be looking at multiple shooters. So at least that part the guys stepped up there.” "But the failure here is absolutely catastrophic and I've got to tell you, the Secret Service director has completely failed and candidly should resign. Kim Cheatle has failed Donald Trump and has failed Joe Biden too. He's the president right now. Where's the DHS secretary? You're blaming it on manpower.” “We're a $4 trillion United States government and we can't fork over enough money to keep our people alive. This is the best technology we have? Really. To let a sniper 150 yards away from the potential next president shoot a piece of his ear off? That's the victory lap? Give me a break, man." "You're gonna find out in the coming weeks that the physical fitness standards for men and women are different. That's weird because the protectee's weight and height doesn't change for a man or a woman," Bongino said"It'd be easy for me to say 'Oh, well, let's not get into Monday morning quarterbacking.' Bro, It's not a freakin football game! It's the president of the United States-- his life! The Secret Service has one job.".
