WASHINGTON DC, USA — Kimberly Cheatle, the Director of the U.S. Secret Service, has tendered her resignation following scrutiny over security lapses related to the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Sources informed the media Cheatle’s resignation comes amidst ongoing investigations by lawmakers and an internal government watchdog into the agency’s handling of Trump’s protection at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month.
In her resignation letter, Cheatle expressed the difficulty of her decision and emphasised her desire not to distract agents from their mission.
“In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your Director,” she wrote, acknowledging that the agency “fell short” of its mission on July 13, the day of the assassination attempt.
President Joe Biden, in a statement, expressed gratitude for Cheatle’s service and promised to appoint a new director “soon.”
“As a leader, it takes honour, courage, and incredible integrity to take full responsibility for an organisation tasked with one of the most challenging jobs in public service,” Biden stated.
Cheatle faced bipartisan calls for her resignation, particularly after her appearance before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, where she refrained from answering many questions.
During the testimony, she admitted to “significant” and “colossal” problems with the rally’s security but maintained she was the best person to lead the agency.
House Speaker Mike Johnson described the resignation as “overdue” and emphasized the need to rebuild public trust in the Secret Service. “Now we have to pick up the pieces,” Johnson said.
“We have to rebuild the American people’s faith and trust in the Secret Service as an agency. It has an incredibly important responsibility in protecting presidents, former presidents, and other officials in the executive branch, and we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Initially, Cheatle was adamant about not stepping down. Biden appointed her to lead the Secret Service in 2022 after she had managed Global Security at PepsiCo and served 27 years in the Secret Service.
The assassination attempt occurred when a gunman fired shots at Trump from an unsecured rooftop near the rally stage, hitting Trump’s ear.
The incident resulted in one death and multiple injuries among rallygoers.
Cheatle admitted in a CNN interview last week that the Secret Service was “solely responsible” for the rally site’s security design and implementation.
The agency has faced criticism over its failure to control access to the rooftop and handling of information from local law enforcement about the would-be assassin.
The Secret Service and Pennsylvania law enforcement, which assisted in rally security, have given conflicting accounts of responsibility for the lapses.
Cheatle had committed to full cooperation with congressional and internal government examinations of the Secret Service’s actions on the day of the attempted attack.
Her resignation marks the end of a challenging tenure and opens the path for new leadership tasked with restoring confidence in the agency’s crucial role in protecting national leaders.
