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The agency’s acting director took offense when a Texas representative questioned him about where he was standing in a photo commemorating the Sept. 11 attacks.
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‘You Are Out of Line’: Acting Secret Service Director Clashes With Congressman
A congressional hearing on Thursday erupted into a shouting match. Ronald L. Rowe Jr., the acting Secret Service director, accused Representative Pat Fallon, Republican of Texas, of politicizing a 9/11 memorial event.
“Do you recognize this photo?” “Yes, sir, I do.” “OK. Is that a remembrance of Sept. 11?” “It was.” “Was it in New York?” “It was at ground zero.” “Who is usually at an event like this, closest to the president of the United States, security-wise?” “The SAC of the detail.” “Special agent in charge of the detail. Were you the special agent in charge of the detail that day?” “Actually, let me address this. Could you please, staff leave — no, leave that one up with the circle around me. Thank you. So actually, Congressman, what you’re not seeing is the SAC of the detail off 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.” “I’m not asking you that. I’m asking you —” “Congressman —” “Were you the special agent in charge —” “I was there to show respect for a Secret Service member that died on 9/11.” “You’re trying to be —” “Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes.” “I’m not. I’m invoking this —” “You are, sir.” “Gentleman —” “You are out of line.” “Committee will come to order.” “I’m asking you serious questions for the American people, and they’re very simple. They’re not trick questions. Were you the special agent in charge of that day?” “No, I wasn’t. I was there representing the United States Secret Service.” “I’m just asking you yes or no?” “Mr. Fallon, your time has expired.” “It did not affect —” “You know why you were there? Because you wanted to be visible, because you are auditioning for this job that you’re not going to get.” “I was there to pay respect for a fallen member of this agency.”
- Dec. 5, 2024, 7:18 p.m. ET
The acting director of the Secret Service and a Republican congressman from Texas got into a shouting match in a congressional hearing on Thursday over the acting director’s appearance in an official photo during a remembrance ceremony in New York on Sept. 11.
Representative Pat Fallon, Republican of Texas, accused the agency’s acting director, Ronald L. Rowe Jr., of being out of place in a set photograph with President Biden and others, suggesting that it is not the role of the Secret Service director to be front-and-center at an event like that.
“Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes,” Mr. Rowe shouted over Mr. Fallon.
Mr. Rowe said he personally responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center. He said he was in New York on Sept. 11 this year to “show respect for the Secret Service members who died.” Two members of the Secret Service died in the attacks.
Mr. Fallon shouted back: “You know why you were there? Because you wanted to be visible. Because you are auditioning for this agency,” to become the permanent director. Mr. Fallon said Mr. Rowe’s presence there jeopardized the security of the president and vice president.
“You are out of line,” Mr. Rowe shouted back to Mr. Fallon.
Mr. Fallon intimated that he was echoing concerns members of the agency have conveyed to him that Mr. Rowe was not acting in the best interest of the service while angling to be named its next director.
President-elect Donald J. Trump has not indicated who his choice is to run the Secret Service, an agency that has been under fire for months after a would-be assassin shot Mr. Trump in the ear during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, an episode the service acknowledged was it most significant operational failure in decades.
The acting director was testifying on Thursday about the steps the agency has taken since then to correct some of the issues identified in the various subsequent reviews of that day. Mr. Fallon is a member of the special House task force charged with reviewing what went wrong. The task force plans to release its findings publicly soon.
A spokesman for the Secret Service, Anthony Guglielmi, said Mr. Rowe was invited to the memorial service this year to honor the victims.
“All detail personnel were present and had complete access to their protectees during the memorial,” Mr. Guglielmi said in a statement.
Mr. Rowe took over the agency when its previous director, Kimberly A. Cheatle, resigned after the attempted assassination of Mr. Trump.
Eileen Sullivan covers breaking news, the Justice Department, the trials against Donald J. Trump and the Biden administration. More about Eileen Sullivan
