“I take full responsibility for the security lapse,” Cheatle wrote in an email to staff Tuesday, according to the Associated Press . “In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director.”
The news of her departure comes the day after Cheatle appeared before a congressional committee where she described the attempt on Trump’s life at a rally in Pennsylvania “the most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades” for which she accepted “full responsibility.”
President Joe Biden nevertheless thanked Cheatle for her decades of public service, saying she’d “risked her life to protect our nation throughout her career.” “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,” he said in a statement .
Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers grilled Cheatle in tense exchanges Monday over how it was possible that a gunman was able to get so close to the former president and open fire, wounding Trump and rally attendees.
Cheatle, who was appointed to lead the Secret Service in August 2022, insisted at the congressional hearing she remained the “right person” to lead her agency despite the growing calls for her to step down.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) even used the Capitol Hill hearing to invite Cheatle to start drafting her resignation letter on the spot, later accusing Cheatle of being “full of shit.” Others on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee also called on the director to resign in more restrained terms.
Cheatle’s departure comes as multiple investigations are underway to find answers to burning questions about what happened at the July 13 rally.
Biden called for an independent review of security at the event, and the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general separately launched its own inquiry into the Secret Service’s process for securing the rally.
In his statement Tuesday, Biden said he looked forward to assessing the conclusions of the independent review. “We all know what happened that day can never happen again,” he said. “As we move forward, I wish Kim all the best, and I will plan to appoint a new Director soon.”
The FBI, meanwhile, is still trying to establish a motive for why 20-year-old Thomas Crooks tried to kill Trump. Crooks was killed in the attack.
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