Trump assassination attempt: head of US Secret Service resigns
The head of the US Secret Service, who has faced mounting pressure since the assassination attempt on Donald Trump on 13 July, resigned on Tuesday, the day after a tense parliamentary hearing in which she acknowledged the failure of her department.
Kimberly Cheatle had been the subject of numerous calls to step down from both Republican and Democratic politicians since the shooting in Pennsylvania in which Trump was slightly wounded.
At Monday’s hearing before Congress, Cheatle had acknowledged shortcomings but dismissed calls for her resignation and said several investigations were under way.
“The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders (...). On 13 July, we failed. As director, I take full responsibility for any breach of security,” she said, describing the events as “the most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades”. The following day, she announced her resignation.
'Rebuild confidence'
The Republican leader of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, welcomed her decision.
“It’s long overdue, she should have done it at least a week ago,” he told reporters. “I am delighted to see that she has heard the calls from Republicans and Democrats alike. We must now pick up the pieces and rebuild the confidence of the American people in the Secret Service.”
"We all know that what happened that day must never happen again"
In a statement, president Joe Biden expressed his gratitude to Cheatle “for her decades of service”. “Throughout her career with the Secret Service, she has given selflessly and risked her life to protect our nation,” he said.
However, he mentioned the independent investigation that is due to review the events of 13 July and determine how a shooter could have got so close to Trump. “I look forward to evaluating its findings,” he said. “We all know that what happened that day must never happen again.”
Trump, 78, was shot in the ear at the campaign rally. One bystander was killed and two others seriously injured. The gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot dead by the Secret Service.
US Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle at a hearing on the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Washington, DC, 22 July 2024 © PHOTO PATSY LYNCH
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