US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has resigned amid intense scrutiny over security lapses related to the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
This decision comes as lawmakers and an internal government watchdog investigate the agency’s handling of Trump’s protection during a rally in Pennsylvania where a gunman came dangerously close to killing him.
Cheatle’s resignation follows bipartisan calls for her to step down, with Republican lawmakers also pushing for her impeachment.
Her recent appearance before the House Oversight Committee, where she refused to answer many questions, further fueled lawmakers’ frustration.
Cheatle acknowledged “significant” and “colossal” problems with the security at the rally but initially resisted resignation, asserting her capability to lead the agency.
House Speaker Mike Johnson welcomed her resignation, describing it as “overdue” and emphasizing the need to rebuild trust in the Secret Service. “Now we have to pick up the pieces,” Johnson stated.
“We have to rebuild the American people’s faith and trust in the Secret Service as an agency. It has an incredibly important responsibility in protecting presidents, former presidents, and other officials in the executive branch, and we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
The Secret Service has been criticized for failing to control access to the rooftop from which the gunman fired shots and for its handling of information from local law enforcement about the would-be assassin’s suspicious behavior.
Cheatle, who was appointed by President Joe Biden in 2022, had pledged the agency’s full cooperation with investigations.
She previously served in the Secret Service for 27 years and managed Global Security at PepsiCo before taking on the director role.