Washington, D.C. – U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has resigned following intense scrutiny from lawmakers in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, according to news sources.
In her resignation letter, obtained by a senior official, Cheatle acknowledged the “intense scrutiny” faced by the agency in the past week, which she expects to continue as operational demands increase. She took “full responsibility for the security lapse” and expressed her decision to step down as “difficult” and made “with a heavy heart.”
Cheatle, who had led the Secret Service since September 2022, did not specify her last day in the letter.
President Joe Biden issued a statement thanking Cheatle for her service and announced plans to appoint her successor soon. In response to the assassination attempt on Trump, Biden ordered an independent review to investigate the incident and said he looks forward to its findings. “We all know what happened that day can never happen again,” Biden stated.
Former President Trump reacted to Cheatle’s resignation on Truth Social, criticizing the Biden administration for failing to protect him and claiming he “took a bullet for Democracy.”
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., voiced strong disapproval of Cheatle’s leadership during a Monday hearing where she faced bipartisan anger over the Secret Service’s failure. “Cheatle instilled no confidence,” Comer said, highlighting her evasion of specific questions due to the ongoing investigation.
Cheatle faced sharp criticism from both Democratic and Republican committee members, with Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., accusing her of being “completely dishonest” about her cooperation with the committee.
Comer and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., expressed their dissatisfaction in a joint letter to Cheatle following the hearing. They criticized her for not providing answers about the “stunning operational failure” and failing to reassure the public that the Secret Service was addressing its systemic issues. The letter called for her resignation as a step toward rebuilding trust.
Several top Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo., also demanded Cheatle’s resignation. Prior to her resignation, some Republican lawmakers had planned to file impeachment articles against her.
In a previous interview with ABC News, Cheatle accepted full responsibility for the incident, acknowledging the agency’s ongoing review and noting the short window between the initial report of the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, and the attack at the July 13 rally. Sources revealed that Secret Service agents had spotted Crooks on a rooftop 10 minutes before Trump took the stage, and 20 minutes elapsed before he began shooting.
The assassination attempt resulted in former President Trump being shot in the upper part of his right ear. Former fire official Corey Comperatore was killed in the attack, and two others were injured and hospitalized, with their conditions now improving.