Ohio representative on the response to Trump shooting, political violence and more
WASHINGTON (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - Representative Mike Turner (R-Ohio) spoke with Margaret Brennan on Face the Nation on Sunday about Turner's comments about Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigning "if she's not fired first" following the Trump rally shooting on July 13.
"The failures are just absolutely outrageous and incredible. You know, first you start asking the question: 'Is this a failure of resources?' 'Is this a failure of protocols or a failure of management?' And it appears that now we know that it's all three: That people on the ground at Trump's campaign who were involved with security had asked for additional resources. They identified that there were gaps, and what's interesting is when we had our briefing, and this Secret Service gave us their own timeline. Their own timeline admits that nine minutes before Donald Trump took the stage...they were aware of a particular threat, and still let Donald Trump take the stage. And then, as we also know, from their own timeline, they didn't take a shot to take out the shooter until Donald Trump himself was shot. And what you see from this is that, you know, obviously, thank God, Donald Trump is alive, and as he's alive, we look at this as incompetence. But if he had been killed, they would be culpable. Every aspect of their failure leads right to giving an opportunity to shoot Donald Trump. And that is going to be the major issue. How did this happen, and of course, she needs to be fired, President Biden should fire her, she's clearly not going to resign. But her failures are incredibly well known throughout the organization. And even as we look at that day, they were very, very basic failures."
Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH)
Cheatle is expected to testify to a congressional panel on Monday following last weekend's assassination attempt on the former president.
During the interview, Brennan and Turner talked about the FBI's response at the Trump rally in Bulter, Pennsylvania, and whether Turner expects more political violence after Brennan presented a poll, saying 62% of voters "expect to see an increase in political violence" in the United States over the next two years.
"I think we're certainly in a temperament where it is very difficult right now. But so far, that is part of the FBI investigation, they're letting this be known early, that it doesn't appear that he...wasn't politically driven, or motivated. That in fact, perhaps he was tied to an interest in mass shootings and in his loner status and obviously, his fixation on guns, then...brought himself to do this. We'll have to find out the whole picture. We also have to find out if [he is] a lone actor, really we say he was a lone shooter, was he a lone actor? What really motivated this shooter is going to be very important."
Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH)
Later in the interview, Brennan and Turner talked about Ukraine and Taiwan under a potential Trump-Vance administration.
"I think everybody around the world wants a strong leader for the United States than what we currently have is a leader that is incapable of really making decisions. Now, we need a leader who's going to step up represent the United States. And as Donald Trump has said in these conflicts, it's going to take a leader, it's going to take a strong leader and Donald Trump certainly has shown that."
Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH)
To watch more of Brennan's interview with Turner, click here.
