Speaker Mike Johnson calls on Secret Service director to resign after assassination attempt on Trump

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson and other top Republicans are calling for the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle days after a gunman tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania.

“I’m going to call for resignation,” Johnson, R-La., said Wednesday in an appearance on Fox News at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. “Look, I think it’s inexcusable. … Her explanation to the media that there was a slant on the roof, so there was safety concern — it doesn’t wash. And I think she’s shown what her priorities are.”

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., Johnson’s top lieutenant, called for Cheatle to resign on Tuesday.

Johnson’s call for resignation came just hours before top law enforcement officials are expected to brief House and Senate lawmakers in separate, unclassified virtual briefings about Saturday’s shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired at Trump as he addressed rallygoers. One spectator was killed and two were seriously injured. Trump was wounded in his right ear.

FBI Director Christopher Wray, Deputy Director Paul Abbate and Secret Service Deputy Director Ronald Rowe are on the list of briefers. Cheatle is not on the House briefer list but appeared on the Senate list.

The House Oversight Committee said it plans to subpoena Cheatle if she refuses to appear at a public hearing Monday focused on the security breach.

In the Fox News interview, Johnson also said he will create a special House task force to investigate the shooting and security breakdowns when lawmakers return on Monday, an effort to streamline multiple congressional investigations.

“The reason we’re going to do it that way