The United States Secret Service Director, Kimberly Cheatle, resigned on Tuesday amidst mounting pressure following an assassination attempt on former President Trump.
According to The Fox News, Cheatle’s resignation letter was sent to the U.S. Secret Service on Tuesday morning.
This came a day after she faced bipartisan criticism during her testimony before the House Oversight Committee and over a week after Thomas Crooks attempted to assassinate Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
Cheatle’s letter to the agency stated, “To the Men and Women of the U.S. Secret Service, The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders and financial infrastructure. On July 13th, we fell short on that mission.”
She acknowledged the intense scrutiny over the past week, stating, “As your Director, I take full responsibility for the security lapse.”
President Biden, who did not terminate Cheatle in the days following the incident, expressed gratitude for her decades of service and announced plans to appoint a new director soon.
Biden remarked, “As a leader, it takes honor, courage, and incredible integrity to take full responsibility for an organization tasked with one of the most challenging jobs in public service. We all know what happened that day can never happen again. As we move forward, I wish Kim all the best.”
Cheatle emphasized that the incident does not define the agency.
“We remain an organization based on integrity and staffed by individuals of exceptional dedication and talent,” she wrote, adding that they would continue their mission steadfastly.
She also noted the importance of not letting calls for her resignation distract from the agency’s vital work.
“I love this agency, our mission, and the great men and women who sacrifice so much every day,” Cheatle wrote. “In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your Director.”
Reflecting on her career, Cheatle reminded her colleagues of her extensive service, including securing events for then-First Lady Hillary Clinton, supervising then-Vice President Dick Cheney’s detail, and overseeing the agency’s protective mission under the Trump Administration as AD-OPO.
“As I stated in the hearing yesterday, all of you are worthy of trust and confidence,” she wrote.
Cheatle’s resignation comes after House Republicans, including House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, called for her resignation, labeling her leadership as “the face of incompetence.”
Comer said during the hearing, “It is my firm belief, Director Cheatle, that you should resign. The safety of Secret Service protectees is not based on their political affiliation. And the bottom line is that under Director Cheatle’s leadership, we question whether anyone is safe.”
Despite initially resisting calls for her resignation and appearing before Congress to answer questions, Cheatle eventually decided to step down.
She explained the significant security lapse, mentioning the decision to secure the building from the inside due to the sloped roof’s safety concerns.
During her testimony, Cheatle admitted, “On July 13th, we failed. As the director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse of our agency. We must learn what happened and I will move heaven and earth to ensure that an incident like July 13th does not happen again.”
The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general has launched an investigation into the Secret Service’s handling of security for Trump’s rally on July 13.
