Lauren Boebert files bill to defund Secret Service director over Trump shooting
Washington DC - Congresswoman Lauren Boebert has filed a bill to strip the director of the Secret Service of her salary in the wake of the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
On Monday night, the Colorado representative announced on social media that she had officially filed the legislation, which aims to "hold Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle accountable for the agency's incompetence and failure to protect President Trump."
If passed, the bill, which was co-sponsored by eight other House Republicans, would prohibit federal funds from being used to pay Cheatle's salary and expenses.
Boebert's efforts come after Trump was lightly wounded when a lone gunman fired several shots during his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
His ear was grazed by one of the bullets, while one person in the crowd was tragically killed, and two others were critically injured.
The Secret Service, which handled security that day, has faced heavy criticism for alleged failures that arguably allowed the shooting to take place.
Cheatle has vowed to cooperate with an independent review of the incident but has refused to step down from her position.
Lauren Boebert believes there is more to the story of the Trump rally shooting
Boebert has joined a number of other elected officials who have expressed skepticism about the incident and have attempted to place blame on their political rivals.
In an interview a day after the shooting, Boebert argued that "rhetoric from the Left has escalated to this moment" and boldly stated, "I do believe that [President] Joe Biden is responsible for the shooting today."
In an X post shared on Monday, Boebert posited that the shooting was either "intentional, or the Secret Service was grossly incompetent."
And in a statement about her bill shared with The Hill, Boebert said the shooting occurred because the Secret Service has "prioritized woke DEI policies over the core responsibilities... including protecting our nation's leaders."
"Director Cheatle has got to go!" she added.
Boebert's fellow MAGA Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene has expressed similar skepticism, recently sharing, "This reeks of something a lot more sinister and bigger. There are too many things that do not make sense."
Cover photo: Collage: KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP & Kevin Dietsch / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP