The director of the US Secret Service says its security plan was “not properly executed” when a man broke into the White House this month, a lapse she said would never be repeated.
At a House oversight committee hearing, Julia Pierson took responsibility for the “unacceptable” 19 September breach.
Omar Gonzalez, 42, scaled a fence, ran across the lawn, entered an unlocked door and was tackled inside.
It was the latest in a series of embarrassments for the elite agency.
Mr Gonzalez made it well into the first floor of the White House, having pushed his way past a guard standing just inside the unlocked door of the North Portico.
He was tackled in the East Room, a long, ornately decorated chamber used for presidential addresses and formal receptions.
