US Secret Service chief Kimberly Cheatle resigns days after Trump assassination attempt
US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle (C)
US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on Tuesday (July 23) amid ongoing outrage over how the agency helmed by her failed to prevent the attempted assassinationof former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania campaign rally earlier this month.
Cheatle said that one of the Secret Service’s foremost duties is to protect American leaders and that the agency "fell short of that mission" on July 13 when former US President Donald Trump faced attempted assassination.
"I do not want my calls for resignation to be a distraction from the great work each and every one of you do towards our vital mission," Cheatle said in anemail sent to Secret Service agents on Tuesday (July 23).
She said she was deeply committed to the agency but added that, "in light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director."
Kimberly Cheatle resigns: Joe Biden reacts
In an official statement, US President Joe Biden hailed Kimberly Cheatle's record. "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," he wrote.
)
Scientists raise alarm for US and Canada, warn of 100-foot tsunami that will alter geography for centuries
)
Did China launch global campaign against Rafale jets during India-Pak tensions? Here's 8-word answer by the Chinese
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Do fighter jets have toilets? Here’s how pilots manage hunger and hygiene in the sky
)
511 billion barrels of oil discovered in Antarctica can trigger World War. Here's how
)
Scientists stumbled upon four pitch-black eggs 20,000 feet below ocean. They turned out to be...
)
Boeing reaches hush-hush deal with 737 MAX plane crash victim's kin, as Air India crash probe reveals THIS
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Top 6 fighter jets that became the biggest disasters in aviation history
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
From Rafael Nadal to Pete Sampras: 5 tennis players with most men's singles grand slams
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
This fighter jet could fly at the edge of space and it's not American...
)
South Korean caves are teeming with creatures with dragon-like features. They are completely blind
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
From Mark Boucher to MS Dhoni: Top 5 best wicket-keepers in cricket history
)
‘Both engines shut down within seconds of takeoff,’ says AAIB report on Air India crash
)
The ultimate aerial powerhouses revealed: Meet the top 10 best fighter jets in the world for 2025
)
Airstrike on Buddhist monastery in Myanmar kills 23, including four kids
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How upcoming F-47 fighter jet could be the deadliest man-made weapon ever?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
From Viv Richards to Don Bradman: 5 players fastest to score 5000 runs in Tests, only one Indian in list
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Can't Get over Queen of Tears? Here are 5 more dramas with heartbreaking love stories
"The independent review to get to the bottom of what happened on July 13 continues, and I look forward to assessing its conclusions. We all know what happened that day can never happen again. As we move forward, I wish Kim all the best, and I will plan to appoint a new Director soon," he added.
Reacting to her resignation, Trump wrote on Truth Social: "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!"
Also watch |US Secret Service director grilled by lawmakers on Trump assassination attempt
Cheatle appeared before a congressional committee on Monday and said the attack on Trump represented "the most significant operational failure of theSecretServicein decades" -- a reference to the 1981 shooting of Ronald Reagan.
Both Republicans and Democrats called on Cheatle to resign during the tense House hearing.