By Colleen Long
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON 鈥� The director of the Secret Service said Tuesday she is resigning following the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump that unleashed intensifying outcry about how the could fail in its core mission.
Kimberly Cheatle, who had served as Secret Service director since August 2022, had been facing growing calls to resign and several investigations into to the Republican presidential nominee at an outdoor campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
鈥淚 take full responsibility for the security lapse,鈥� she said in an email to staff, obtained by The Associated Press. 鈥淚n light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director.鈥�
Cheatle鈥檚 departure was unlikely to end the scrutiny of the long-troubled agency after the failures of July 13, and it comes at a critical juncture ahead of the Democratic National Convention and a busy presidential campaign season. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have promised continued investigation, along with an inspector general probe and an independent and bipartisan effort launched at President Joe Biden鈥檚 behest that will keep the agency in the spotlight.
鈥淭he scrutiny over the last week has been intense and will continue to remain as our operational tempo increases,鈥� Cheatle said in her note to staff.
Cheatle鈥檚 resignation comes a day after appeared before a congressional committee and was berated by hours by both Democrats and Republicans for the security failures. She called the attempt on Trump鈥檚 life the Secret Service鈥檚 鈥渕ost significant operational failure鈥� in decades and said she took full responsibility for the security lapses, but she angered lawmakers by failing to answer specific questions about the investigation.
At the hearing Monday, Cheatle remained defiant that she was the 鈥渞ight person鈥� to lead the Secret Service, even as she said she took responsibility the security failures. When Republican Rep. Nancy Mace suggested Cheatle begin drafting her resignation letter from the hearing room, Cheatle responded, 鈥淣o, thank you.鈥�
The 20-year-old shooter, , was able to get within 135 meters (157 yards) of the stage where the former president was speaking when he opened fire. That鈥檚 despite for the former president in the days before the July 13 rally.
Cheatle acknowledged Monday that the Secret Service was told about a suspicious person two to five times before the shooting at the rally. She also revealed that the roof from which Crooks opened fire had been identified as a potential vulnerability days before the rally. But she failed to answer many questions about what happened, including why there no agents stationed on the roof.
Own up to your mistakes
Listen as Gordon Graham discusses the inner strength it takes to admit when you鈥檝e made a bad decision or used poor judgment
A bloodied Trump was quickly escorted off the stage by Secret Service agents, and agency snipers . Trump said the upper part of his right ear was pierced in the shooting. One rallygoer was killed, and two others were critically wounded.
鈥淭he assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on July 13th is the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades,鈥� Cheatle told members of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee. 鈥淎s the Director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse.鈥�
Details continue to unfold and what role both the Secret Service and local authorities played in security. The agency routinely relies on local law enforcement to secure the perimeter of events where people it is protecting appear. Former top Secret Service agents said the gunman should never have been allowed to gain access to the roof.
Two days after the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said he supported Cheatle 鈥�100%.鈥�
But there were calls for accountability across the political spectrum, with , issuing a subpoena to testify and the top Republican leaders from both the House and the Senate saying she should step down. President Joe Biden also has ordered an independent review into security at the rally and the Secret Service鈥檚 inspector general opened an investigation. The agency is also reviewing its counter sniper team鈥檚 鈥減reparedness and operations.鈥�
In an interview with ABC News two days after the shooting, Cheatle said she wasn鈥檛 resigning. She called the shooting 鈥渦nacceptable鈥� and something that no Secret Service agent wants to happen. She said her agency is responsible for the former president鈥檚 protection: 鈥淭he buck stops with me. I am the director of the Secret Service.鈥�
Cheatle served in the Secret Service for 27 years. She left in 2021 for a job as a security executive at PepsiCo before Biden asked her to return in 2022 to head the agency with a workforce of 7,800 special agents, uniformed officers and other staff.
She took over amid a controversy over from around the time thousands of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
During her time in the agency, Cheatle was the first woman to be named assistant director of protective operations, the division that provides protection to the president and other dignitaries where she oversaw a $133.5 million budget. She is the second woman to lead the agency overall.
When , Biden said Cheatle had served on his detail when he was vice president and he and his wife 鈥渃ame to trust her judgment and counsel.鈥�