Secret Service Chief Kimberly Cheatle Resigns Following Trump Rally Shooting Incident

Secret Service chief Kimberly Cheatle has announced her resignation less than two weeks after the agency failed to prevent an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally on July 13.

Cheatle, a 28-year veteran of the agency, had been pressured to step down following the incident. She announced her resignation in a letter to agency staff on Tuesday morning. “I have and will always put the needs of this agency first.

Cheatle said the Secret Service’s absence from the roof Thomas Matthew Crooks fired from was because it was too “sloped,” creating an unacceptable “safety factor” for the agents. AP

In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your Director,” Che” tle wrote in the letter obtained by The Post.

She emphasized that she did not want the growing calls for her resignation to be “a distraction from the great work each and every one of you do towards our vital mission.”

As news of Cheatle’s resignation broke, Trump posted 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!”

A full breakdown of the shooting on Saturday. CrookCrooks’was reportedly found nearby with explosives inside.

A Trump ally told The Post that Cheatle’s exit was “a week overdue.” The rally shooting left Trump nicked in the ear, two supporters badly wounded, and a volunteer firefighter dead. Cheatle’s subsequent missteps further eroded confidence in her leadership.

One notable misstep was her admission to ABC News that Secret Service agents were not posted on the roof from which the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired because it was too “slop” d,” pos” a safety risk for agents.

This failure allowed Crooks an unobstructed line of sight to Trump, marking the first assassination attempt on a sitting or former U.S. president since 1981.

Crooks fired several shots from about 130 yards away before being killed by Secret Service counter-snipers. At a House Oversight Committee meeting, Cheatle acknowledged the agency’s response as a “failure” but controversially gave her agents an “A” grade for their performance that day.

This assessment was criticized, especially after it was revealed that the Secret Service had been aware of Crooks’ presence at the rally more than an hour before Trump spoke. Crooks was allowed to enter the rally despite being stopped with a rangefinder, a device used to measure distances.

Cheatle said the agency’s rally response was a “failure” but gave her agents an “A” grade for their work that day. Getty Images

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) had previously stated he would not support impeaching Cheatle despite Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) pushing for it. “Impeachment, as we know, is reserved for treason, bribery, high crimes and misdemeanours,” he said. “Maladministration and utter incompetence, unfortunately, are not impeachable offences — but there are other ways to achieve the desired end.” Upon learning of Cheatle’s resignation, Johnson remarked that it was “overdue” and the “right thing.”

Committee chair James Comer called Cheatle’s resignation “a step toward accountability” while emphasizing the need for a full review of the security failures to prevent future incidents.

Cheatle’s tenure lasted less than two years and had been criticized for focusing too heavily on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. At a committee hearing before her resignation, Rep. Tom Burchett (R-Tenn.) labelled her leadership as a “DEI horror story.”

President Biden issued a statement thanking Cheatle for her service and condemning the rally shooting as an event that “can never happen again.” Biden indicated that he plans to appoint a new Secret Service director soon.