What to know about Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle

Director of the Secret Service Kimberly Cheatle has been thrown into the national spotlight in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a Pennsylvania rally.

As questions emerge about security lapses at Trump’s rally that led to the gunshots, many are looking to the Secret Service for answers. The Secret Service falls under the Department of Homeland Security and is tasked with protecting the current president and all living former presidents for the rest of their lives.

“The Secret Service is tasked with the tremendous responsibility of protecting the current and former leaders of our democracy," Cheatle said in a statement Monday. "It is a responsibility that I take incredibly seriously, and I am committed to fulfilling that mission.”

Cheatle was appointed as director of the Secret Service in 2022 and became the second woman to lead the agency. She was appointed by President Joe Biden and served in his Secret Service detail when he was vice president under former President Barack Obama.

Cheatle served over 27 years with distinction in various leadership roles within the Secret Service.

As director of the agency, she is in charge of executing protections for current and former presidents as well as investigations for the agency. The Secret Service has many divisions within itself, including special agents, uniformed division officers, technical law enforcement officers, and administrative, professional, and technical personnel, according to the Secret Service's website.

After nearly three decades in the agency, Cheatle left to work for PepsiCo as the senior director of global security. In that role, she directed security protocols for PepsiCo’s operations in North America. She then returned to the Secret Service when Biden appointed her.

As many look for answers to the security failures at the Pennsylvania rally, the House Oversight Committee has requested Cheatle testify before Congress on July 22. Cheatle said the agency will “work with the appropriate Congressional committees on any oversight action.”

Since the events unfolded, Cheatle said she has been in contact with the appropriate agencies.

“Since the shooting, I have been in constant contact with Secret Service personnel in Pennsylvania who worked to maintain the integrity of the crime scene until the FBI assumed its role as the lead investigating agency into the assassination attempt. I have also been coordinating with the protective detail for former President Trump and have briefed President Biden on the details of the incident,” Cheatle said in the statement.

Biden and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) have pledged a full, independent investigation into what happened at the rally as it relates to the Secret Service.

“The Secret Service is working with all involved Federal, state, and local agencies to understand what happened, how it happened, and how we can prevent an incident like this from ever taking place again. We understand the importance of the independent review announced by President Biden yesterday and will participate fully,” Cheatle said.

Lawmakers in the House are also planning on introducing legislation to increase Secret Service protections for presidential candidates such as Trump and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Since the assassination attempt, Cheatle has been subject to claims her appointment was based on diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring principles. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) and other right-wing commentators have blamed DEI for the attempted assassination.

"You’ve got a DEI, basically, a DEI initiative person who heads up our Secret Service. You know, she was working at Pepsi before this. I know she was, former CIA, Secret Service agent, but still, this is what happens when you don’t put the best players, and it’s a complete failure on our part," Burchett told Fox News.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

When Cheatle testifies before the House Oversight Committee, she will likely encounter Burchett, who sits on the committee. Cheatle has said she is proud of the Secret Service in a memo obtained by the New York Times and told agents not to become discouraged by criticism.

“In the coming days, the Secret Service will face praise and criticism,” she wrote. “Do not get distracted by those who were not there and yet still pass judgment.”