US Secret Service director Kim Cheatle has resigned after an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Both Democrats and Republicans had urged her to step down following a tense House committee hearing about the incident.
Cheatle, who took responsibility for the security failure, said she didn’t want her resignation to distract from the agency’s important work.
Cheatle’s decision comes after a week of intense scrutiny. In her resignation letter, she expressed her commitment to the agency and her heavy heart over leaving.
President Joe Biden praised her decades of service and announced plans to appoint a new director soon.
Cheatle had a long career at the Secret Service, including protecting Vice-President Dick Cheney during the 9/11 attacks and leading Biden’s protective detail when he was vice-president.
However, her leadership was questioned after the July 13th rally, where a bullet grazed Trump’s ear, leaving one person dead and two others injured.
During the House Oversight Committee hearing, lawmakers grilled Cheatle about the security lapses but received few new details.
She called the shooting the Secret Service’s most significant failure in decades. Witnesses saw the suspect, Thomas Matthew Crooks, with a rifle on a rooftop before he was killed by a counter sniper.
Committee leaders James Comer and Jamie Raskin wrote to Cheatle, urging her to resign. Comer said Cheatle failed to inspire confidence in the Secret Service’s mission.
Trump’s response on social media criticized the Biden administration’s protection. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson welcomed her resignation, calling it overdue.
Teresa Wilson, a rally attendee, told the BBC she was glad Cheatle resigned and hoped the independent investigation would continue to provide answers.
This summary highlights the significant events and reactions surrounding Cheatle’s resignation, with a unique perspective on the challenges faced by the Secret Service and the implications for its future .
Credit : BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4ngj4jyryeo