The congressional hearing on the Trump assassination attempt is becoming explosive

The acting director of the U.S. Secret Service told a U.S. House panel on Thursday that he overhauled the agency’s security practices after a gunman shot and killed President-elect Donald Trump in July, but not everyone was so impressed.

Acting director Ronald Rowe testified before a House task force made up of seven Republicans and six Democrats investigating two failed assassination attempts on Trump during this year’s presidential campaign. At times it got heated.

Rowe earned praise from many Republican lawmakers for his cooperation in the investigation, but he erupted against Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, after the congressman Rowe’s appearance at a ceremony this year commemorating the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks had questioned.

Fallon accused Rowe of putting lives in danger to stand behind Vice President Kamala Harris for his prestige, angrily telling Rowe that by doing so he had “put agents out of office.”

“Do you know why you were there? Because you wanted to be visible because you’re auditioning for this job that you’re not going to get,” Fallon claimed.

More:What you should know about the new Secret Service director after the second assassination attempt on Trump

“Don’t invoke 9/11 for political purposes!” Rowe shouted, adding that he responded to the World Trade Center site after the attack and attended the ceremony to represent the Secret Service. “You’re wrong, Congressman,” the two men shouted angrily over each other’s comments.

Fallon said he raised “serious questions” about whether Rowe was present at the ceremony to protect senior officials.

Rowe was named acting director of the embattled agency in late July after the former director resigned following sharp criticism from bipartisan lawmakers investigating the shooting. At the time of the first assassination attempt, Rowe was the agency’s second-in-command behind former director Kimberly Cheatle.

This week’s hearing is the final meeting of a bipartisan House task force investigating security breaches that led to the attack in Butler, Pennsylvania, that injured Trump and two others and killed one man. According to the approved resolution establishing the task force, the group will submit its final report on the incident by December 13.

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