The Director of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, has resigned following the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. Cheatle had been facing criticism and calls for her resignation after a shooter was able to get close to Trump at a campaign rally. In her resignation email to staff, Cheatle took responsibility for the security lapse and announced her decision to step down.
Cheatle’s resignation comes after she faced scrutiny from lawmakers during a congressional hearing about the security failures that allowed the shooter to get close to Trump. Despite acknowledging the security lapses, Cheatle angered lawmakers by failing to provide specific answers about the investigation.
President Joe Biden thanked Cheatle for her service and announced that he would appoint a new director soon. The Secret Service, which is under the Department of Homeland Security, has faced increased attention after the recent events, and investigations into the security failures are ongoing.
Calls for accountability have been made from both Democrats and Republicans, with congressional committees launching investigations and the Secret Service’s inspector general conducting a review. Cheatle, who served in the Secret Service for 27 years, left the agency in 2021 before returning in 2022 to head the agency. She is the second woman to lead the agency and oversaw a budget of $133.5 million in her previous role.
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