07/23/2024

Secret Service Director Cheatle Resigns after Trump Rally Shooting

She faced extreme scrutiny after the incident

Tuesday, U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, telling staff that she took "full responsibility," according to a copy of a letter sent to agency staff obtained by The Washington Post.

"In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director," wrote Cheatle, who has been under intense pressure to resign from lawmakers of both parties. "This incident does not define us. 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."

The attack was the first against a U.S. leader on the elite protective agency's watch in more than 40 years. Cheatle, a veteran Secret Service agent, had called the security failure involving a gunman shooting from an apparently unsecured roof at a Trump presidential campaign rally July 13 unacceptable and acknowledged that "the buck stops with me."

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.