- US Secret Service boss resigns over Trump shooting failures
- Cheatle accepted full responsibility for the lapse in security
- The resignation came after a contentious congressional hearing, where Cheatle faced bipartisan calls to step down and refused to answer questions
- President Biden announced plans to appoint a new director soon
US Secret Service boss resigns over Trump shooting failures
US Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle has resigned following security failures during an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. In her resignation letter, Cheatle accepted full responsibility for the lapse in security. The resignation came after a contentious congressional hearing, where Cheatle faced bipartisan calls to step down and refused to answer questions about the incident at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
President Biden announced plans to appoint a new director soon. In the interim, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas appointed Ronald Rowe, a 24-year Secret Service veteran and current deputy director, as acting director.
Cheatle, appointed by Biden in 2022, had served 27 years with the Secret Service in various roles. In Tuesday’s resignation letter, Cheatle said she had always “put the needs of the agency first” and it was “with a heavy heart” that she made her decision.
“The scrutiny over the last week has been intense and will continue to remain as our operational tempo increases,” she said.
“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.”