Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe had a heated exchange with a congressman during a Thursday hearing on Capitol Hill by the bipartisan House task force investigating the attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life.
The hearing devolved into a heated yelling match between Rowe and Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas).
Fallon pulled out a photo of President Joe Biden, Trump, and others at the Sept. 11 ceremony in New York.
Fallon questioned Rowe’s appearance at the event, asking Rowe if he was the special agent in charge that day. Rowe defended his presence as paying respects, detailing his own service at ground zero. Fallon shouted over him repeating his original question, to which Rowe shouted back, yelling at him not to politicize the 9/11 attacks. The shouting match continued, with Fallon asking his question a last time and Rowe responding, saying that he wasn’t in charge that day but was there representing the U.S. Secret Service. Fallon then accused Rowe of going to the event to raise his profile in hopes of getting the director’s job.
Trump has not yet named his pick to lead the agency.
This is the task force’s second public hearing and the first time that Rowe has addressed it in public.
It is scheduled to release a report on its findings and recommendations by Dec. 13.