Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle RESIGNS Over Trump Assassination Attempt

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on Tuesday following over a week of bipartisan backlash against the “security failures” that led to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Cheatle’s resignation comes just one day after an hours-long Capitol Hill grilling by the House Oversight Committee, during which she was forced to admit that the Secret Service “failed” in its mission at the time of the shooting.

“The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders and financial infrastructure. On July 13th, we fell short on that mission,” Cheatle wrote in an email to the agency on Tuesday morning. “The scrutiny over the last week has been intense and will continue to remain as our operational tempo increases. As your Director, I take full responsibility for the security lapse.”

However, she also said that “the incident does not define us.”

“We remain an organization based on integrity and staffed by individuals of exceptional dedication and talent,” she wrote, adding that the agency “will move forward with our investigatory and protective mission in a steadfast manner.”

“We do not retreat from challenge,” she wrote. “However, I do not want my calls for resignation to be a distraction from the great work each and every one of you do towards our vital mission.”

Cheatle continued:

"I love this agency, our mission, and the great men and woken who sacrifice so much every day. I have, and will always, put the needs of this agency first.

In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that, I have made the difficult decision to step down as your Director."

In response to her resignation, the Office of President Joe Biden put out a statement praising her record of service.

“Jill and I are grateful to Director Kim Cheatle for her decades of public service. She has selflessly dedicated and risked her life to protect our nation throughout her career in the United States Secret Service,” Biden said. “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.”

The president continued:

"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."

During Monday’s tense Congressional hearing, Cheatle faced sharp criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike, with House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and others demanding that she resign. At the time, the Secret Service director refused to provide further details about the variety of security mistakes and conflicting facts that have thus far confounded public scrutiny of the assassination attempt, but she said that the agency is “still looking into” why the rooftop where the shooter was positioned was left unguarded.