Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigns in wake of Trump shooting

Kimberly Cheatle has resigned as director of the Secret Service in the wake of an assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump and increasing calls for her exit.

The Associated Press reported Tuesday that Cheatle has stepped down, one day after a heated Congressional hearing in which members grilled her on how a gunman was able to get so close to Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania.

Trump was injured, one person was killed and two were wounded before Secret Service agents killed the suspected gunman.

In the week since the shooting, news outlets have reported conflicting accounts from the Secret Service and local law enforcement about the security measures that were in place at the Trump rally.

At the Congressional hearing on Monday, Cheatle said the security lapse was the “most significant operational failure” in decades but maintained that she was still the best person for the position.

But as the hearing wrapped up, calls for her departure grew, and Rep. Nancy Mace filed a motion for impeachment.

Cheatle reportedly announced her resignation in an email to staff.

Cheatle, the second woman to lead the agency, had served as Secret Service director since August 2022.