A day after admitting that the US Secret Service was unable to stop an attempt on Donald Trump’s life, Director Kimberly Cheatle tendered her resignation on Tuesday.
Cheatle was under pressure to resign following an incident where a 20-year-old gunman injured the former Republican president and current White House candidate at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13.
Mike Johnson, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, expressed his frustration with the delay, stating that it should have been done at least a week ago. “It’s encouraging to see that she has responded to the bipartisan appeal.”
President Joe Biden expressed his gratitude to Cheatle for her long and dedicated service in the Secret Service, acknowledging her selflessness and the risks she has taken to protect our nation over the course of her career.
“It is imperative that we prevent a recurrence of the events that transpired on that day,” stated Biden. “As we move forward, I extend my best wishes to Kim and will be making plans to appoint a new director in the near future.”
Cheatle testified before a congressional oversight committee on Monday, acknowledging that the incident involving Trump’s minor injury to his right ear was a clear indication of the Secret Service’s failure.
She described it as a major operational failure of the Secret Service, one of the most significant in decades.
During a heated hearing, members from both the Republican and Democratic parties demanded Cheatle’s resignation. Her refusal to provide specific details about the attack, citing the existence of multiple active investigations, sparked frustration among lawmakers from both parties.
A shooting incident occurred during President Trump’s campaign event, where shots were fired at him shortly after he started speaking.
Perched on the roof of a nearby building, he met his demise when a Secret Service sniper swiftly took him out, a mere 30 seconds after he unleashed a barrage of eight shots.
Investigators have determined that the young man, who resided in a town approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Butler, acted independently. They have not found any significant ideological or political affiliations.
During the incident, two individuals who were present at the rally sustained severe injuries, while Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old Pennsylvania firefighter, tragically lost his life due to gun violence.
According to a statement made by Trump’s former physician, it was revealed that the Republican candidate had suffered a gunshot wound measuring two centimeters on his right ear.
According to former White House physician Ronny Jackson, the bullet narrowly missed entering his head by less than a quarter of an inch and instead hit the top of his right ear.
Cheatle had a long and distinguished career in law enforcement, spending 27 years as a Secret Service agent. In 2021, Cheatle made the transition to a new role as the head of security in North America for PepsiCo.
She was appointed to lead the agency by President Joe Biden in 2022.