Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle Resigns After Trump Shooting

Embattled Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle dramatically announced her resignation on Tuesday, following the massive security incidents that led to the death of Donald Trump.

Cheatle took responsibility for the catastrophic failures after being criticized by both Republicans and Democrats when she appeared before Congress on Monday.

The security chief has faced mounting questions about why there was no officer on the roof from which gunman Thomas Crooks opened fire on the former president, and why Trump was allowed to take the stage even when a threat was detected.

She was also ridiculed for claiming that her office was not on the roof because it was “slanted.”

Trump, 78, told her the bizarre excuse was “crazy” when they first met after he was shot in the ear at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13.

In a statement on Tuesday, Trump said: “The Biden/Harris administration failed to protect me, and I was forced to take a bullet for democracy. IT WAS MY GREAT HONOR TO DO SO!”

Cheatle refused to resign from her post for nine days.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has dramatically announced her resignation following the massive security failures that led to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

In a resignation letter to colleagues, she wrote: “The solemn mission of the Secret Service is to protect our nation’s leaders and financial infrastructure. On July 13, we failed to do so.”

“The scrutiny over the past week has been intense and will continue to be intense as our operational tempo increases. As your director, I take full responsibility for the security failure,” she continued.

“However, this incident does not define us. We remain an organization built on integrity and staffed by individuals of exceptional dedication and talent.”

She continued: “As I have said, the Secret Service will continue with determination in our investigative and protective mission.

“We do not back down from challenges. However, I do not want my calls for resignation to distract from the great work each of you is doing for our vital mission.

“When I got the call asking if I wanted to return to the Secret Service after my brief retirement, I didn’t hesitate. I love this agency, our mission, and the incredible men and women who sacrifice so much every day. I have, and always will, put the needs of this agency first.”

The beleaguered security chief has faced mounting questions about why there was no officer on the building where Thomas Crooks opened fire on the former president, and why Trump was allowed to take the stage even when a threat was detected.

Cheatle refused to step down from her post for nine days after the failures that led to Trump being shot in the ear

Cheatle admitted she was responsible for the colossal blunder in a letter to colleagues on Tuesday, following a brutal hearing on Capitol Hill on Monday in which dozens of Republican and Democratic lawmakers called on her to resign.

Cheatle continued: “In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your CEO. When I assumed the role of your CEO, I promised to do so with honor and integrity.”

She said she had worked as a special agent for 27 years, securing events for Hillary Clinton, working as a supervisor on Dick Cheney’s team and for Joe Biden when he was vice president.

“As I said in yesterday’s hearing, you all deserve our trust. You deserve the nation’s support as you carry out our critical mission. One of my favorite things about this workforce is the men and women who are deeply committed to our mission,” Cheatle wrote.

“Thank you for all you do, and will continue to do, for our great country.”

Cheatle has been director of the Secret Service since August 2022.

Her resignation followed amid growing outrage over how the agency charged with protecting current and former presidents could be neglecting its core mission.

During Monday’s hearing, Cheatle continued to insist she was the “right person” to lead the Secret Service, even as she said she took responsibility for security shortcomings.

When Republican Rep. Nancy Mace suggested that Cheatle begin drafting her resignation letter during the hearing, Cheatle replied, “No, thank you.”

The 20-year-old gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was able to get within 500 feet of the podium where the former president was speaking when he opened fire.

This is despite a threat to Trump’s life from Iran, which led to extra security for the former president in the days leading up to the July 13 meeting.

Cheatle admitted Monday that the Secret Service was notified of a suspicious person two to five times before the shooting at the meeting.

She also revealed that the roof from which Crooks opened fire had been identified as a potential vulnerability days before the meeting.

But she couldn’t answer many questions about what had happened, including why there were no officers stationed on the roof.

Trump was bloodied and quickly removed from the stage by Secret Service agents, after which service snipers killed the shooter.

Trump said the upper part of his right ear was pierced in the shooting.

“The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on July 13 is the greatest operational failure by the Secret Service in decades,” Cheatle told members of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Monday.

“As director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security breaches.”

More and more details are emerging about signs of unrest that day and the roles both the Secret Service and local authorities played in security.

The agency routinely calls on local law enforcement to secure the area surrounding events where people it protects appear.

Former top Secret Service agents said the shooter should never have been allowed onto the roof.

Two days after the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said he supported Cheatle “100%.”

But calls for accountability came from across the political spectrum. Congressional committees immediately launched investigations, subpoenas were issued for her to testify, and top Republican leaders in both the House and Senate called for her to resign.

President Joe Biden has also ordered an independent review of the security at the meeting, and the Secret Service inspector general has launched an investigation. The agency is also reviewing the “readiness and operations” of its anti-sniper team.

In an interview with ABC News two days after the shooting, Cheatle said she would not resign, calling the shooting “unacceptable” and something no Secret Service agent wants to happen.

She said her agency is responsible for protecting the former president: “The responsibility lies with me. I’m the director of the Secret Service.”

Cheatle left the Secret Service in 2021 for a job as a security officer at PepsiCo, before Biden tapped her to return in 2022 to lead the agency’s workforce of 7,800 special agents, uniformed officers and other personnel.

She was the second woman to lead the agency.

When Biden announced her nomination, he said that Cheatle had served on his team when he was vice president and that he and his wife “trusted her judgment and counsel.”