Kimberly Cheatle, director of the US Secret Service, has officially resigned following a growing outrage from lawmakers and Americans over a failure of the agency she oversees to prevent an assassination shot against Donald Trump.
In the wake of the incident, Cheatle appeared before a House committee where she was slammed by both Republicans and Democrats for the failure.
Cheatle Resigns
On Tuesday, Cheatle announced her resignation via a letter she wrote addressed to members of the Secret Service.
“In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that, I have made the difficult decision to step down as your Director,” Cheatle wrote.
Falling Short
In the letter, Cheatle admits that the agency fell short of its critical mission to protect America’s leaders.
“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,” said Cheatle.
Taking Responsibility
Cheatle would then go on in the letter take responsibility for the security lapse, and warned her fellow Secret Service employees that scrutiny over the organization will remain high.
“The scrutiny over the last week has been intense and will continue to remain as our operational tempo increases,” Cheatle wrote. “As your Director, I take full responsibility for the security lapse.”
Biden’s Statement
President Joe Biden released an official White House statement, thanking Cheatle for her long years of service. Cheatle had been a member of the Secret Service for almost 30 years.
“Jill and I are grateful to Director Kim Cheatle for her decades of public service,” Biden wrote. “She has selflessly dedicated and risked her life to protect our nation throughout her career in the United States Secret Service.”
Leadership Qualities
Biden complimented Cheatle for taking full responsibility for the incident, something he viewed as not an easy decision.
“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,” Biden said.
Independent Review
In his statement, Biden assured the public that an independent review would help “get to the bottom” of what failures led to the agency failing to prevent the Trump rally shooting.
“We all know what happened that day can never happen again. As we move forward, I wish Kim all the best, and I will plan to appoint a new Director soon,” said Biden.
Outrage Over Failure
In the wake of the July 13 shooting, many sought to pour over every detail possible and expressed outrage at the Secret Service’s failure.
A YouGov poll conducted in the immediate wake of the shooting found that only 20% of American adults were “very confident” that the Secret Service could protect presidential candidates from harm.
House Committee Hearing
This week, Cheatle was summoned by the House Oversight Committee and intensely grilled by both Republican and Democrat lawmakers.
These lawmakers asked her intense, accusatory questions, and Cheatle faced bipartisan calls for immediate resignation, including from top Oversight Committee Democrat James Raskin.
AOC’s Criticism
Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasiao-Cortez was highly critical of Cheatle during the hearing, taking to X to clarify her criticism afterward.
“Why was the Secret Service’s protective perimeter in Butler shorter than the range of an AR-15? It does not take 60 days to answer that question. The agency’s failure to publicly account for these questions and others from Congress is unacceptable. Dir. Cheatle should resign,” wrote AOC.
Grilled By Mace
Perhaps the most intense questioning came from Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, who forced Cheatle to answer a series of yes or no questions, to which she had disappointing answers.
In the questioning, Mace got Cheatle to admit that it was a “colossal failure” and that Trump’s assassination “was preventable.”
Facing Accountability
While Cheatle said she took responsibility for the incident and resigned, some lawmakers want to take it further and are calling for criminal investigations against her.
“Her resignation isn’t the end of this failure for FORMER Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle, who reported to Mayorkas. She will not get to slither away and enjoy retirement. Cheatle and Mayorkas will face accountability for actions, including possible criminal investigations. I won’t let this go unanswered!” wrote Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on X.
