Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has resigned in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania. Cheatle, who had been serving as director since August 2022, announced her departure in an email to staff amid mounting calls for her resignation and multiple investigations into the security failures that allowed the shooter to get dangerously close to the Republican presidential nominee.
Former President Trump quickly reacted to the news, posting a statement on his social media platform: “The Biden/Harris Administration did not properly protect me, and I was forced to take a bullet for Democracy. IT WAS MY GREAT HONOR TO DO SO!” Trump’s campaign has yet to comment officially on Cheatle’s resignation or the circumstances surrounding the security lapse.
The resignation comes as House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries have issued a joint statement supporting the formation of a bipartisan task force to investigate the attempted assassination and the associated security failures. The House is expected to vote on establishing the task force, which will consist of seven Republicans and six Democrats, as early as Wednesday.
“The task force will be empowered with subpoena authority and will move quickly to find the facts, ensure accountability, and make certain such failures never happen again,” Johnson and Jeffries said in their statement.
Speaker Johnson welcomed Cheatle’s resignation, describing it as “overdue” and stating it should have occurred at least a week ago. “I’m happy to see that,” Johnson commented. “I’m happy to see she has heeded the call of both Republicans and Democrats. Now we have to pick up the pieces. We have to rebuild the American people’s faith and trust in the Secret Service as an agency.”
According to the Associated Press, Johnson and Jeffries emphasized the urgency of the task force’s work, highlighting the bipartisan outrage over the security breaches that led to the shooting. The task force’s findings are expected to play a critical role in restoring confidence in the Secret Service’s ability to protect current and former presidents.
