Tuesday saw the resignation of US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who had admitted the agency had failed in its attempt to stop a Donald Trump assassination attempt the day before.
After a 20-year-old gunman injured the former Republican president and current White House contender during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, Cheatle was being urged by both parties to resign.
The Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, told reporters, “It is overdue, she should have done this at least a week ago.” “That she has responded to the calls of both Republicans and Democrats makes me happy.”
During her nearly three decades in the Secret Service, Cheatle “selflessly dedicated and risked her life to protect our nation throughout her career,” as stated by President Joe Biden, who also thanked her.
In a statement, Biden added, “We all know what happened that day can never happen again.” “I will be appointing a new director shortly, and I wish Kim the best of luck as we proceed.”
Speaking Monday before a congressional committee, Cheatle claimed that the attack on Trump—who suffered a minor cut to his right ear—represented a breakdown on the part of the Secret Service.
“The most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades,” as she put it.
Cheatle’s resignation was demanded by both Democrats and Republicans. She refused to share specifics about the incident, citing the many ongoing investigations, which infuriated members of both parties.
Shortly after Trump started speaking at the campaign event, the shooter used an assault rifle similar to an AR-15 to start shooting at him.
Less than 30 seconds after firing the first of eight bullets, a Secret Service sniper killed him while he was perched on the roof of an adjacent building.
The young man, who lived in a hamlet some 80 kilometers from Butler, acted alone, according to investigators, who were unable to find any clear indications of his strong political or ideological inclinations.
Two rallygoers suffered critical injuries, while Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter from Pennsylvania, was shot and killed.
Over the weekend, Trump’s former doctor revealed that the Republican nominee had a gunshot wound to his right ear that measured two centimeters, or about an inch.
According to former White House doctor Ronny Jackson, “the bullet passed, coming less than a quarter of an inch from entering his head, and struck the top of his right ear.”
Before departing in 2021 to take a position as PepsiCo’s chief of security in North America, Cheatle worked with the Secret Service for 27 years.
President Biden appointed her to lead the agency in 2022.
