WASHINGTON, DC—US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has reportedly resigned following intense scrutiny over security breaches during a recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The incident, which occurred at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month, has sparked a series of investigations by Congress and an internal government watchdog into the Secret Service’s protocols.
Cheatle’s resignation comes amid growing bipartisan pressure in Congress, with some Republican lawmakers even calling for her impeachment. The scrutiny intensified after Cheatle’s recent testimony before the House Oversight Committee, where she was criticized for her reticence to answer several key questions.
Appointed by President Joe Biden in 2022, Cheatle initially stated she would not resign in the immediate aftermath of the assassination attempt on the 2024 Republican presidential candidate. However, the continued legislative and public pressure has culminated in her decision to step down.
“”The Oversight Committee’s hearing resulted in Director Cheat/e’s resignation and there will be more accountability to come. The Secret Service has a no-fail mission yet it failed historically on Director Cheat/e’s watch. At yesterday’s Oversight Committee hearing, Director Cheatle instilled no confidence that she has the ability to ensure the Secret Service can meet its protective mission,” said Congressman James Comer. “Egregious security failures leading up to and at the Butler, Pennsylvania campaign rally resulted in the assassination attempt of President Trump, the murder of an innocent victim, and harm to others in the crowd. While Director Cheatle ‘s resignation is a step toward accountability, we need a full accounting of how these security failures happened so that we can prevent them going forward. We will continue our oversight of the Secret Service in support of the House Task Force to deliver transparency, accountability, and solutions to ensure this never happens again.”
