Following a grueling and combative hearing where members of the House Oversight Committee questioned Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, Cheatle resigned from her position Tuesday. Cheatle initially put off calls for her resignation for nearly a week while opposition mounted against her from both political parties.
Assassination Attempt and Public Scrutiny
Cheatle came under fire and became a household name after the Secret Service failed to avert an assassination attempt targeting former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
Resignation Following Congressional Hearing
Cheatle’s resignation came Tuesday following a scathing Congressional hearing, which led both party members to demand her resignation.
Refusal to Resign
Until the hearing and all the way through it, Cheatle said that she would not resign and was still the best person to lead the agency.
Democratic Members’ Initial Stance
Initially, no Democratic members of the Committee had called for her resignation, but they were interested in hearing what she had to say at the hearing.
Her performance and approach soon angered the members, who claimed that she lacked forthrightness and transparency with the Committee, providing even less substantive responses than she had divulged to media outlets following the assassination attempt.
Hedging During the Hearing
Cheatle hedged and refused to directly answer questions posed by Committee members throughout the lengthy hearing.
Criticism Over Security Decisions
She also received criticism for a decision not to post a sniper on the roof that the shooter occupied to open fire on Trump.
Cheatle claimed that the roof was too sloped for an agent, saying, “There’s a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn’t want to put somebody up on a sloped roof. And so, the decision was made to secure the building from the inside” rather than atop the roof.
Resignation Letter
On Tuesday, Cheatle sent a letter to the Secret Service staff, writing, “In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your Director. The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders and financial infrastructure. On July 13, we fell short of that mission.”
Cheatle’s Tenure and Responsibility
Cheatle is a thirty-year veteran of the Secret Service. At the end of her letter, she said, “As your director, I take full responsibility for the security lapse.”
President Biden’s Statement
After Cheatle announced her resignation, President Joe Biden released a statement thanking Cheatle for her thirty years of service. Biden, who resigned from his pursuit of the White House Sunday, stated, “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.”
Appointment of New Director
Biden announced that he would soon appoint the next Secret Service Director. The next Director will continue investigating the lapse on July 13 and be tasked to report to Congress regarding the findings and changes needed to protect America’s leaders and their families best.
House Oversight Committee’s Response
The House Oversight Committee Chairman and Ranking Member James Comer released a letter stating, “The Secret Service has a no-fail mission, yet it failed historically on Director Cheatle’s watch. At yesterday’s Oversight Committee hearing, Director Cheatle instilled no confidence that she can ensure the Secret Service can meet its protective mission.”
Future Focus of the Committee
Committee members reiterated that they would continue to focus on the issue, reviewing the final analysis of the circumstances and providing accountability and legislative interventions if identified as needed.
