Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has resigned after coming under intense pressure over the agency’s failings that led to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
In an email to his staff, Cheatle, who has served in that role since August 2022, said he took full responsibility for the security breach during the campaign rally in Pennsylvania on July 13.
“I take full responsibility for the security breach. In light of recent events, it is with great regret that I have made the difficult decision to step down as director.”
Her resignation comes a day after she came under fire at a hearing before a congressional committee in which Democrats and Republicans alike harshly criticized her for the failures that allowed the attacker to get so close to the Republican presidential candidate.
Cheatle’s departure is unlikely to end scrutiny of the agency, which has long been embattled after the July 13 failures, and comes at a critical time ahead of the Democratic National Convention and a busy presidential campaign season.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have promised a continued investigation, along with an inspector general probe and an independent, bipartisan effort launched at the behest of President Joe Biden that will keep the agency in the spotlight.
“Scrutiny over the past week has been intense and will continue as our operational tempo increases,” Cheatle said in his note to staff.
Cheatle’s resignation comes a day after he appeared before a congressional committee and was rebuked for hours by both Democrats and Republicans over the security lapses. He called the attempt on Trump’s life the Secret Service’s “most significant operational failure” in decades and said he took full responsibility for the security failures, but he angered lawmakers by not answering specific questions about the investigation.
At Monday’s hearing, Cheatle remained defiant, saying she was the “right person” to lead the Secret Service, even as she said she took responsibility for security failures. When Republican Rep. Nancy Mace suggested Cheatle begin drafting her resignation letter from the hearing room, Cheatle replied, “No, thank you.”
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