A fiery showdown erupted between Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe and Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) during a House hearing, with Rowe accusing the congressman of using the 9/11 attacks for political gain.
The confrontation began when Fallon questioned Rowe about his presence at a September 11 memorial ceremony at Ground Zero. Holding up a photo showing President Biden and President-elect Trump at the event, Fallon pointed to Rowe in the background, suggesting he had interfered with the protective security team.
Rowe fired back, clarifying that Fallon’s image cropped out the security agents who were still in place to protect the event. He later explained that he had been invited to attend the memorial and was there to honor a fallen Secret Service agent who died during the attacks.
But Fallon wasn’t satisfied. He pressed Rowe about his role as Deputy Director during a recent assassination attempt on Trump, accusing him of being slow to respond to the scene after the shooting. As the exchange heated up, Rowe snapped, telling Fallon: “Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes!”
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“Don’t try to bully me,” Fallon shot back. “You wanted to be visible because you were auditioning for this job!”
“I was there to pay respect for a fallen member of this agency,” Rowe shot back. “You are out of line, Congressman!”
The shouting continued as the two men talked over each other, making it hard to follow the conversation. Even repeated gavel bangs from committee chair Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) couldn’t calm the tension. Rowe, visibly furious, continued to challenge Fallon, saying: “I was there to show respect for a Secret Service member who died on 9/11. You will not politicize that!”
Fallon, however, claimed that Rowe had interfered with the safety of the president by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He argued that a member of the protective detail, who should have been stationed there, had been moved aside by Rowe himself. Fallon questioned whether Rowe was even wearing a bulletproof vest, implying that his presence was a serious security lapse.
Later, Fallon doubled down, saying Rowe’s behavior showed he wasn’t fit for the job and called for his removal. “I’m not upset he was there,” Fallon said. “I’m upset that he was interfering with the protection of the president.”
Rowe remained steadfast, insisting he was there to pay respects, not make headlines. “I’m a public servant who served this nation on its darkest day. You will not politicize 9/11,” he yelled at Fallon.
The Secret Service later confirmed that Rowe had attended the ceremony as an invited guest and that the security detail had full access to their protectees throughout the event. Rowe’s spokesperson, Anthony Gugliemi, said, “All detail personnel were present and had complete access to their protectees during the memorial.”
The heated exchange between Rowe and Fallon, though chaotic, highlighted a deeper issue—using tragic national events like 9/11 for political purposes. In the face of constant attacks on government agencies, the Secret Service director’s outburst sent a clear message: some things, like the memory of 9/11, should never be used as a political tool.
Watch the exchange below:
