WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who testified at the House Oversight Committee on July 21 regarding the agency’s failure to prevent an assassination attempt on the 45th President of the United States, Donald J Trump, has resigned, ABC news reports.
“Jill and I are grateful to Director Kim Cheatle for her decades of public service,” President Joe Biden wrote in statement on the resignation of United States Secret Service Director Cheatle. “She has selflessly dedicated and risked her life to protect our nation throughout her career in the United States Secret Service. We especially thank her for answering the call to lead the Secret Service during our Administration and we are grateful for her service to our family.
“As a leader, it takes honor, courage, and incredible integrity to take full responsibility for an organization tasked with one of the most challenging jobs in public service.
“The independent review to get to the bottom of what happened on July 13 continues, and I look forward to assessing its conclusions. We all know what happened that day can never happen again. As we move forward, I wish Kim all the best, and I will plan to appoint a new Director soon.”
Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, wrote that he was “grateful” for Cheatle’s “leadership” and her “lifelong devotion to our country.”
My statement on the departure of Kimberly Cheatle ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/QtsPr5ZjRS
— Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (@SecMayorkas) July 23, 2024
Cheatle came under scrutiny at the House Oversight Committee on Monday, July 21, for her agency’s failure to provide adequate protection at President Trump’s Butler, PA, rally on July 13, where many representatives called on Cheatle to resign.
In her resignation letter, obtained by NBC News, Cheatle wrote that the “scrutiny over the last week has been intense and will continue to remain as our operational tempo increases.” She added that she takes “full responsibility for the security lapse” that almost killed former President Trump.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote shortly after the announcement of Cheatle’s resignation: “The Biden/Harris Administration did not properly protect me, and I was forced to take a bullet for Democracy. IT WAS MY GREAT HONOR TO DO SO!”
