US Secret Service Director Resigns After Assassination Attempt on Donald Trump

The Director of the US Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, has announced her resignation after taking responsibility for her agency's failure to prevent an assassination attempt on Donald Trump. A day after her congressional hearing, during which she repeatedly refused to release additional details about security breaches, Cheatle faced pressure from lawmakers. The attack in Pennsylvania had injured the Republican presidential candidate and claimed the life of a spectator. Cheatle stated that the incident was the result of "the most serious operational failure at the Secret Service in decades," but due to ongoing internal investigations, she could not provide further insights. Her continued tenure in office met with bipartisan demands for her immediate resignation. Cheatle confirmed that the shooter, Thomas Crooks, had been identified as "suspicious" minutes before Trump's appearance in Butler. He was carrying a rangefinder for rifles, which was not classified as a prohibited item. According to Cheatle's testimony before the House Oversight Committee, such a rangefinder "did not pose a threat." Teams were dispatched to identify and question Crooks, but details on the subsequent steps remained unclear. In a separate hearing on Monday, Cheatle admitted that the agency still did not have clarity on how Crooks had gained access to the roof from which he opened fire. She dismissed claims that Trump's security detail was inadequately equipped, although her service had not fully met certain protection requirements of the Trump team. "The Secret Service has a mission that it cannot fail, and yet, under Director Cheatle's leadership, it has historically failed," declared James Comer, the Republican chairman of the Committee. During yesterday's hearing, Cheatle did not inspire confidence in her ability to ensure the Secret Service's protection objectives. Comer announced further measures for accountability. Cheatle's resignation ends an almost 30-year career in security services, interrupted only by a brief stint at PepsiCo before she took over the leadership of the Secret Service. President Joe Biden thanked her in a statement for "decades of public service." In a social media post, Trump blamed the Biden administration for the inadequate protective measures and added that he was "forced to endure a shot for democracy.