Kimberly Cheatle, the head of the US Secret Service, has resigned following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, amid growing criticism for the agency’s failure to prevent the incident. Cheatle informed staff of her decision to step down via an email on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
She had been facing increasing pressure from lawmakers over the security breach at Trump’s rally on July 13 in Pennsylvania, where Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, was shot in the ear.
“I take full responsibility for the security lapse,” Cheatle said in the email to staff. “In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director.”
President Joe Biden expressed gratitude for Cheatle’s decades of public service and announced plans to appoint a new director soon. He emphasised the importance of the ongoing independent review into the July 13 incident, underscoring that such a security lapse should never occur again.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas later announced that Ronald L. Rowe, the deputy director of the Secret Service, will serve as acting director following Cheatle’s resignation.
Details of the incident
The resignation follows after former US president Donald Trump was shot in the ear by a gunman who, according to witnesses, had taken a position on a rooftop with a clear view of the rally stage. This incident has increased pressure on the Secret Service to clarify the security measures in place before the event.
“The assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on July 13 represents the most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades,” Cheatle told lawmakers during the House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing.
“There was clearly a mistake, and we will make every effort to ensure this never happens again,” she said.
President Biden had later ordered an independent review of the security protocols at the rally, where one attendee was killed while two others were seriously injured.
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