US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on Tuesday, a day after admitting the agency’s failure to prevent an assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Cheatle faced bipartisan pressure to step down after a 20-year-old gunman wounded the former Republican president and current White House candidate at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
“It is overdue; she should have done this at least a week ago,” said Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. “I’m happy to see that she has heeded the call of both Republicans and Democrats.”
President Joe Biden thanked Cheatle for her nearly three decades of service with the Secret Service, praising her dedication and risk-taking in protecting the nation. “We all know what happened that day can never happen again,” Biden said in a statement. “As we move forward, I wish Kim all the best, and I will plan to appoint a new director soon.”
Cheatle, appearing before a congressional oversight committee on Monday, described the attack on Trump, who suffered a minor injury to his right ear, as “the most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades.” During the tense hearing, lawmakers from both parties called for her resignation. Cheatle’s refusal to provide specific details about the attack, citing ongoing investigations, further fueled their frustration.
The gunman, armed with an AR-style assault rifle, opened fire on Trump minutes after he began speaking at the event. A Secret Service sniper fatally shot the assailant less than 30 seconds after he fired the first of eight shots. Investigators determined the gunman acted alone and found no strong ideological or political motivations. The attack also resulted in serious injuries to two rally attendees and the death of a 50-year-old Pennsylvania firefighter, Corey Comperatore.
Trump’s former physician, Ronny Jackson, reported that Trump sustained a nearly one-inch gunshot wound on his right ear, narrowly missing his head.
Cheatle served as a Secret Service agent for 27 years before leaving in 2021 to become the head of security in North America for PepsiCo. President Joe Biden appointed her to lead the agency in 2022.
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