Kimberly Cheatle, the Director of the United States Secret Service, announced her resignation on Tuesday in the wake of an assassination attempt on former US president Donald Trump. The incident, which occurred at an outdoor campaign rally in Pennsylvania, has ignited intense scrutiny over the agency's ability to protect current and former presidents.
Cheatle, who had been serving as the Secret Service director since August 2022, faced mounting calls to step down and several investigations into the security breach. In an email to her staff, obtained by news agency Associated Press, Cheatle stated, "I take full responsibility for the security lapse. In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director."
The resignation follows the assassination attempt on July 13, where Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old shooter, managed to get within 135 metres of the stage before opening fire. Although Trump was swiftly escorted off stage by Secret Service agents, the shooter was killed by agency snipers. Trump later reported that the upper part of his right ear was pierced during the incident. The attack also resulted in the death of one rally attendee and critical injuries to two others.
US President Joe Biden said in a statement that he would appoint a new director soon while also stressing “what happened that day can never happen again.”
He stated that he was grateful to Cheatle for her decades of public service. “We especially thank her for answering the call to lead the Secret Service during our administration, and we are grateful for her service to our family,” Biden said.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has made Deputy Director Ronald Rowe as acting director, AP reported
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Trump Assassination Attempt: Kimberly Cheatle's Resignation Amid Bipartisan Criticism
Cheatle's resignation comes amidst promises of continued investigations by lawmakers from both parties, along with an inspector general probe and an independent review commissioned by US President Joe Biden. "The scrutiny over the last week has been intense and will continue to remain as our operational tempo increases," Cheatle noted in her email, as quoted by AP.
During a congressional hearing on Monday, Cheatle described the assassination attempt as the Secret Service's "most significant operational failure" in decades and asserted her accountability for the security lapses. Despite her admission, she faced harsh criticism from both Democrats and Republicans for her failure to provide specific details about the incident.
According to AP, Republican Representative Nancy Mace suggested Cheatle should start drafting her resignation letter from the hearing room, to which Cheatle firmly replied, “No, thank you.”
Cheatle acknowledged that the Secret Service had received multiple warnings about a suspicious person prior to the rally. She also disclosed that the roof from which Crooks fired had been identified as a potential vulnerability. However, she could not explain why no agents were stationed on the roof, AP reported.
Following the incident, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas expressed his support for Cheatle, but the pressure for accountability was bipartisan. Congressional committees moved swiftly to investigate, and US President Biden ordered an independent review into the security arrangements at the rally.
Cheatle’s tenure as director, which began amidst controversy over missing text messages from the January 6 Capitol riot, has been turbulent. She previously served in the Secret Service for 27 years and was the first woman to be named assistant director of protective operations. She briefly left the agency in 2021 for a role at PepsiCo before being asked by President Biden to return.
Reflecting on her career and recent events, Cheatle said in an interview with ABC News, "The buck stops with me. I am the director of the Secret Service."