Washington D.C. – Kimberly Cheatle, Director of the US Secret Service, has tendered her resignation following intense scrutiny of security lapses related to the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
In her resignation letter, Cheatle acknowledged that the agency “fell short” of its mission to protect the nation’s leaders during the July 13 shooting at a rally in Pennsylvania. Her departure comes as lawmakers and an internal government watchdog launch investigations into the agency’s handling of Trump’s protection and the security lapses that occurred during the rally.
Cheatle’s resignation follows bipartisan calls for her to step down and Republican lawmakers’ push for her impeachment. President Joe Biden expressed gratitude for her decades of public service and announced that he will appoint a new director soon.
Cheatle was appointed by Biden to lead the Secret Service in 2022, bringing 27 years of experience in the agency and a stint managing Global Security at PepsiCo. Her resignation marks a significant development in the ongoing investigations into the security lapses surrounding the Trump assassination attempt.