It's "absolutely inexcusable" that a man was able to not only jump the White House fence, but to enter through the front door before being stopped and detained by the Secret Service, said New York Republican Rep. Pete King Sunday.
King, calling for a "full investigation," told "Fox News Sunday" that officers should have acted more quickly, considering the growing threat of the Islamic State (ISIS), which should be adding concern to such incidents.
The man, Omar Gonzalez, 42, of Copperas Cove, Texas, was later determined to have been carrying a knife. The breach occurred just minutes after President Barack Obama and his teenage daughters had left for a weekend trip to Camp David. First Lady Michelle Obama had left earlier for Camp David, and was not at the White House when Gonzalez got inside.
Relatives said Gonzalez had served as an Army sniper in Iraq. He was eventually subdued by a Secret Service officer in the White House vestibule. The Secret Service has launched an investigation into the event, including why the front door on the North Portico of the mansion was left unlocked and why a trained attack dog was not used to stop Gonzalez.
The door he entered is used frequently and is just one flight of stairs from the Obamas' living quarters, reports noted.
King said Sunday the officers should have acted more quickly to stop Gonzalez, who reportedly made it across the White House lawn and inside the door in an estimated 20 seconds.
"There can be a lot of conspiracies against the president," said King, noting that the House Homeland Security Committee will probably hold hearings about the breach."That somebody could get into the White House without being stopped is absolutely inexcusable."
Secret Service Director Julia Pierson said Saturday that security at the White House was stepped up, and that she has ordered a full investigation through the Office of Professional Responsibility, USA Today reported Sunday.
Further, Obama is back an investigation into the incident while expressing support for the Secret Service, USA Today reports.
"The president has full confidence in the Secret Service and is grateful to the men and women who day in and day out protect himself, his family and the White House," said White House spokesman Frank Benenati.
The administration is sure the Secret Service investigation will "be done with the same professionalism and commitment to duty that we and the American people expect from the U.S. Secret Service," Benenati said.