The head of the Secret Service resigned Tuesday following the assassination attempt on the former president Donald Trumpwhich sparked a widespread outcry over how the agency failed in its core mission of protecting current and former presidents.
Kimberly Cheatlehead of the Secret Service since August 2022, faced mounting calls for her resignation and multiple investigations into how the gunman was able to get so close to the Republican presidential candidate at an outdoor campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
“I take full responsibility for the security breach,” she said in an email sent Tuesday to staff and obtained by The Associated Press. “In light of recent events, it is with great regret that I have made the difficult decision to step down as director.”
Cheatle’s departure is unlikely to end scrutiny of the troubled agency following the July 13 failures, and comes at an important juncture ahead of the Democratic National Convention and amid a hectic presidential campaign season. Lawmakers from both parties have vowed to continue the investigation, along with an inspector general probe and an independent bipartisan effort launched at the urging of President Joe Biden, all of which will keep the agency in the spotlight.
The day before she resigned, Cheatle appeared before a congressional committee and was berated for hours by Democratic and Republican lawmakers over the security lapses. She called the assassination of Trump “the most significant operational failure of the Secret Service” in decades and took full responsibility for the security failures, but angered lawmakers by not answering specific questions about the investigation.
President Joe Biden said in a statement that “what happened that day cannot happen again” and said he would appoint a new director soon, but did not mention a timeframe.
Biden said he thanked Cheatle for his decades of public service. “We especially thank him for answering the call to lead the Secret Service in our government, and for his service to our family,” Biden said.
Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkasappointed the deputy director as interim director Ronald Rowe. He has worked for the Secret Service for 23 years.
Questions in Congress
At Monday’s hearing, Cheatle remained defiant, saying he was “the right person” to lead the Secret Service even as he took full responsibility for the security failures. When Republican Rep. Nancy Mace suggested that Cheatle begin drafting her resignation letter as she left the hearing room, she replied, “No, thank you.”
When he opened fire, the attacker, Thomas Matthew CrooksThe 20-year-old was able to get within 157 yards (135 meters) of the stage where the former president was speaking, despite a death threat against Trump from Iran prompting extra security to be assigned to the former president ahead of the July 13 rally.
On Monday, Cheatle admitted that The Secret Service was informed two to five times about a suspect before the rally shooting. He also revealed that the roof from which Crooks opened fire had been identified as a potential vulnerability days before the event. However, he did not answer many questions about what happened, including why there were no officers stationed on the roof.
A bloodied Trump was quickly escorted off the stage by Secret Service agents, and Secret Service snipers killed the assailant. Trump said the top of his right ear was pierced in the shooting. One aide was killed and two others were seriously injured.
Details continue to emerge about signs of trouble that day and what role the Secret Service and local authorities played in security. The agency typically relies on local law enforcement agencies to secure the perimeter of events where the people they protect are performing. Former senior Secret Service agents said the shooter should never have been given access to the roof.
After Cheatle’s resignation was revealed, Trump posted on his social network: “The government of Biden/Harris did not protect me adequately, and I was forced to be shot for democracy. It was a great honour to do so!”
The House Homeland Security Committee had asked Cheatle to appear Tuesday at another hearing on the assassination attempt, But lawmakers said he refusedCheatle’s name was on a card on a table in front of an empty chair during the hearing, which began before his decision to resign was made public.
Source: Gestion
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