U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has resigned following intense criticism over the agency's inability to prevent an attempted assassination on former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally, according to the White House on Tuesday. The Secret Service did not promptly respond to a request for comment. The agency, tasked with protecting current and former U.S. presidents, is in crisis after a gunman successfully fired at Trump from a rooftop during the outdoor event in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13. Cheatle faced widespread criticism from both Republicans and Democrats when she appeared before the House of Representatives Oversight Committee on Monday, refusing to answer questions about the security arrangements for the rally and the law enforcement response to the gunman's suspicious behavior. Several lawmakers demanded her resignation. Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, sustained a minor injury to his right ear, and one attendee was killed in the shooting. The assailant, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, was subsequently shot dead by a Secret Service sniper.
"Director Cheatle’s resignation marks a step towards accountability, but a comprehensive review of these security lapses is necessary to prevent future occurrences," stated James Comer, the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee. "Our oversight of the Secret Service will continue." Cheatle, who has headed the agency since 2022, acknowledged her responsibility for the shooting, describing it as the most significant failure since President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981. The Secret Service is under investigation by various congressional committees and the internal watchdog of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, its parent body. President Joe Biden, who has concluded his re-election campaign, has also requested an independent review. Much of the criticism centers on the failure to secure the rooftop from which the gunman fired, approximately 150 yards from the stage where Trump was speaking. This area was deemed outside the Secret Service's security perimeter for the event, a decision that has been heavily criticized by former agents and lawmakers.
Cheatle, who held a senior security position at PepsiCo before being appointed as Secret Service director in 2022, has a 27-year history with the agency. She assumed leadership following a series of scandals that tarnished the agency's reputation. Ten Secret Service agents were dismissed after it was revealed they had brought women, including some prostitutes, to their hotel rooms prior to a trip by then-President Barack Obama to Colombia in 2012. The agency also faced accusations of deleting text messages around the time of the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, which were later sought by a congressional panel investigating the incident.
