update deskU.S. News

Secret Service director resigns 10 days after man tried to assassinate Trump

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Kimberly Cheatle should have stepped down “at least a week ago,” and “now we have to pick up the pieces.”

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee during a hearing at the Rayburn House Office Building on July 22, 2024, nine days after an attempted assassination of former U.S. president Donald Trump. Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images.
U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee during a hearing at the Rayburn House Office Building on July 22, 2024, nine days after an attempted assassination of former U.S. president Donald Trump. Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images.

Kimberly Cheatle resigned as U.S. Secret Service director on Tuesday amid fallout from the agency’s failure to prevent an assassination attempt on former U.S. president Donald Trump on July 13.

Cheatle faced withering, bipartisan criticism from lawmakers at a congressional hearing on Monday, as she refused to provide clear answers about the shooting at a rally in Pennsylvania, in which one man was killed, two were seriously injured and the former president was shot in the ear.

“Your horrifying ineptitude and your lack of skilled leadership is a disgrace,” said Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas). “Your obfuscating today is shameful, and you should be fired immediately and go back to guarding Doritos.” (Cheatle was previously director of global security at PepsiCo, which makes Doritos.)

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) compared Cheatle’s performance at the hearing to that of the presidents of Harvard and Columbia Universities, both of whom resigned in the wake of a congressional hearing about Jew-hatred on campus.

“I just want to give you an honest assessment of how this is going for you today,” Moskowitz said. “It didn’t go well, and the short end of that story was those university professors all resigned. They’re gone. That’s how this is going for you. This is where this is headed.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) announced the creation of a bipartisan task force to investigate the assassination attempt on Tuesday.

At a press conference, Johnson said that Cheatle’s resignation was overdue.

“She should have done this at least a week ago,” Johnson said. “​​Now we have to pick up the pieces. We have to rebuild the American people’s faith and trust in the Secret Service.”

U.S. President Joe Biden thanked Cheatle for her service in a statement.

“As a leader, it takes honor, courage and incredible integrity to take full responsibility for an organization tasked with one of the most challenging jobs in public service,” Biden stated. “I wish Kim all the best, and I will plan to appoint a new director soon.”

You have read 3 articles this month.
Register to receive full access to JNS.

Just before you scroll on...

Israel is at war. JNS is combating the stream of misinformation on Israel with real, honest and factual reporting. In order to deliver this in-depth, unbiased coverage of Israel and the Jewish world, we rely on readers like you. The support you provide allows our journalists to deliver the truth, free from bias and hidden agendas. Can we count on your support? Every contribution, big or small, helps JNS.org remain a trusted source of news you can rely on.

Become a part of our mission by donating today
Topics
Comments
Thank you. You are a loyal JNS Reader.
You have read more than 10 articles this month.
Please register for full access to continue reading and post comments.
Never miss a thing
Get the best stories faster with JNS breaking news updates