U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned Tuesday in connection with the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. In a letter to agency staff, Cheatle expressed her “full responsibility” for the incident.
“In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your Director,” Cheatle wrote, acknowledging the intense pressure from lawmakers of both parties.
“This incident does not define us,” she assured staff. “I do not want my resignation to be a distraction from the great work each and every one of you do towards our vital mission.”
The attack marked the first against a U.S. leader under the elite protective agency’s watch in over 40 years. Cheatle, a veteran Secret Service agent, had previously called the security failure—where a gunman shot from an unsecured roof at a Trump presidential campaign rally on July 13—unacceptable and stated that “the buck stops with me.”
She initially stated she would not resign and intended to cooperate with investigations into the shooting. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas expressed his “100 percent confidence” in her abilities as Secret Service director last week, and a spokesperson for President Biden also voiced support for her.
However, during a House oversight hearing on Monday, Cheatle faced harsh criticism from both Republicans and Democrats. Lawmakers criticized her for refusing to answer detailed questions about the failures at the Trump rally, leading to a loss of confidence in her leadership.
Following Cheatle’s resignation, Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) took credit for her departure and promised “more accountability to come.”
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas issued a statement thanking Cheatle for leaving her private sector job at PepsiCo North America to return to the Secret Service as Director in 2022. “Reflecting her devotion to country above all else, Director Cheatle returned from retirement to lead the agency and its noble mission that she loves and to which she has devoted her career,” Mayorkas said.
