A day after evading questions from both Democrats and Republicans about her failure to protect former President Donald Trump from an assassination attempt, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned.
“I take full responsibility for the security lapse,” Cheatle reportedly wrote in her resignation statement. “In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director.”
Cheatle had repeatedly claimed that she would not resign, even while refusing to answer questions at a House Oversight Committee hearing on Monday.
Nonetheless, Cheatle told lawmakers at the hearing that she accepts full responsibility for the security failure that led to Trump being shot, two others being critically wounded and one killed.
Despite her resignation, investigations into Cheatle’s decisions that led to the Trump shooting will continue. “There will be more accountability to come,” Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) promised, reacting to Cheatle’s resignation. “We need a full accounting of how these security failures happened,” Comer added.
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden released a statement, thanking and praising Cheatle for her service:
“Jill and I are grateful to Director Kim Cheatle for her decades of public service. She has selflessly dedicated and risked her life to protect our nation throughout her career in the United States Secret Service. We especially thank her for answering the call to lead the Secret Service during our Administration and we are grateful for her service to our family.”
Biden added that he looks forward to “assessing” the findings of the investigation into the security failure that allowed the deadly shooting to take place:
“The independent review to get to the bottom of what happened on July 13 continues, and I look forward to assessing its conclusions.”
Notably, Cheatle was not fired by Biden. Instead, she resigned.
Developing…
See also:
Rep. Jordan Asks Cheatle ‘Were You Guessing or Lying’ About Trump's Security Requests?
Rep. Mace Calls ‘Bulls**t’ on Secret Service Dir. Cheatle’s Testimony
Trump Shooter’s High School Refutes Three Claims About Crooks
