The director of the Secret Service, Kimberly A. Cheatle, resigned on Tuesday following security failures surrounding the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump.
The resignation came amid increasing calls for her to step down from prominent Republican lawmakers.
In an email to Secret Service employees on Tuesday, Cheatle acknowledged that the agency had “fallen short” in its mission to protect the nation’s leaders during the security breach at a campaign rally on July 13.
“I do not want my calls for resignation to be a distraction from the great work each and every one of you do towards our vital mission,” she wrote, expressing her deep commitment to the agency and her decision to step down with “a heavy heart.”
President Biden thanked Cheatle for her service, highlighting her honour, courage, and integrity in taking full responsibility for the agency’s failures. He assured that a new director would be appointed soon.
Cheatle, a veteran of the agency who protected Dick Cheney and Biden during their vice-presidential tenures, faced mounting criticism after the gunman attacked Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Although Trump was injured, he was pulled off the stage and declared safe. The incident resulted in the death of Corey Comperatore, a former local fire chief attending the rally, and the hospitalisation of two other attendees.
The controversy surrounding the assassination attempt intensified when Cheatle struggled to provide specific answers during a House Oversight Committee hearing. Lawmakers from both parties, including Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and Representative Jamie Raskin, expressed frustration and called for her resignation. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas also described the shooting as a security failure.
Despite the initial backing from Biden administration officials, including Mayorkas, the pressure on Cheatle grew. Republican Senators John Barrasso and Marsha Blackburn confronted her at the Republican National Convention, demanding her resignation or a full explanation for the security lapses.
Cheatle, who had served in several leadership roles at the Secret Service and briefly worked at PepsiCo before returning in 2022, took responsibility for the agency’s performance, calling it “unacceptable” in interviews following the shooting. She emphasised her commitment to reviewing and providing necessary resources to the personnel.
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