Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigns amid furor over Trump rally shooting

Washington DC - The director of the Secret Service has resigned following pressure over the agency's failure to prevent the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

On Monday, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle (pictured) resigned amid pressure over her agency's failures that led to a shooting at a Donald Trump rally.
On Monday, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle (pictured) resigned amid pressure over her agency's failures that led to a shooting at a Donald Trump rally.  © CHRIS KLEPONIS / AFP

In her resignation letter, which was obtained by NBC News, Kimberly Cheatle shared, "With a heavy heart, I have made the difficult decision to step down as your Director."

"The Secret Service's solemn mission is to protect our nation's leaders and financial infrastructure. On July 13th, we fell short on that mission," she continued.

"The scrutiny over the last week has been intense and will continue to remain as our operational tempo increases," she added. "As your Director, I take full responsibility for the security lapse."

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During a recent campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a lone gunman opened fire, wounding Trump and two others and killing one bystander.

Kimberly Cheatle faced bipartisan outrage in Monday's hearing

On Monday, Cheatle attended a hearing on Capitol Hill, where members of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee grilled her about her agency's failures that day and demanded she resign.

In response to her resignation, President Joe Biden issued a statement, thanking her for "decades of public service" and shared that he would "soon" appoint her replacement.

House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer also issued a statement, promising that "there will be more accountability to come."

Cover photo: CHRIS KLEPONIS / AFP

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