US Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle resigns from agency

Kim Cheatle, the head of the US Secret Service, has stepped down following security lapses during an assassination try on ex-President Donald Trump.

"I am accountable for the security breach as the leader of this organization," Ms Cheatle stated in a resignation letter addressed to the employees of the agency.

She received pressure from members of both the Democratic and Republican parties to resign following a heated congressional hearing on Monday regarding the shooting.

Politicians grew more and more upset when she declined to respond to inquiries about the shooting at Trump's campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, earlier this month.

In a letter announcing her resignation on Tuesday, Ms. Cheatle stated that she had always prioritized the agency's needs above all else and expressed deep sadness in making the decision.

She stated that the examination over the past week has been rigorous and will persist as our activity level rises.

I don't want my calls for stepping down to take away from the amazing work that all of you do for our important mission.

President Joe Biden expressed his appreciation for her many years of working in government, according to a statement.

The ongoing investigation to uncover the truth about the events of July 13 is still in progress, and I am eager to see the final results. It is clear to all that we must ensure such incidents do not repeat in the future.

Joe Biden stated that he plans to name a new leader in the near future.

Currently, the head of the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, has selected Ronald Rowe to temporarily lead the organization.

Mr. Rowe, who has been a member of the Secret Service for 24 years, was appointed as the deputy director in April 2023.

In 2022, the president selected Ms Cheatle to lead the Secret Service, which is responsible for safeguarding current and former presidents as well as other officials. Prior to this appointment, she had worked at the agency for 27 years in different positions.

While working as an agent, Ms. Cheatle played a role in assisting in the removal of then Vice-President Dick Cheney from the White House during the 9/11 attacks.

Afterward, she became the head of security for Mr. Biden when he was serving as vice-president. She then moved up to the position of deputy assistant director of protective operations.

However, her ability to lead was doubted following the incident at Trump's rally on July 13th, where a bullet narrowly missed hitting the former president's ear.

The assault resulted in the death of one spectator and left two others severely injured.

Politicians asked Ms. Cheatle about the security plans for the upcoming campaign event at the lengthy Oversight Committee meeting in the House of Representatives.

Ms. Cheatle admitted to the security failures, but refused to step down despite demands for her resignation.

She described the shooting as "the biggest mistake made by the Secret Service in many years".

Onlookers observed a man they found suspicious, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, holding a rifle on top of a building at the event just moments before gunfire erupted.

Crooks was shot and killed by a sniper from the opposing side soon after.

Security personnel and police officers from various agencies attended the rally.

In her testimony, Ms. Cheatle did not provide legislators with any additional information about how Crooks managed to reach the roof where he was positioned and why Trump was permitted to speak on stage.

Following the meeting, the top members of the committee from both parties, James Comer and Jamie Raskin, wrote a letter to Ms. Cheatle stating their opinion that she should resign.

Mr Comer stated that Ms Cheatle did not inspire any confidence during the hearing that she is capable of carrying out the Secret Service's protective duties.

"The Oversight Committee's meeting led to Director Cheatle stepping down, and there will be additional measures put in place for accountability," he stated on X, previously known as Twitter.

In a recent message on his social media account, Trump stated that the Biden/Harris Administration failed to adequately protect him, leading him to make sacrifices for democracy.

The Republican House Speaker, Mike Johnson, said that her resignation had been a long time coming and he was happy that she finally made the correct decision.

"We now need to address the situation and restore the American public's confidence in the Secret Service," he informed the press.

Teresa Wilson, a former marine who was present at the rally, expressed to the BBC that she was happy that Ms Cheatle gave in to the pressure.

"I really hope they continue with the independent investigation even though she has stepped down. We need to know the truth," she stated.

During a different meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Christopher Paris discussed several errors in security measures leading up to the shooting.

As per Mr. Paris, two officers who were stationed on a high vantage point above the roof, where Thomas Matthew Crooks was firing from, decided to leave their position to check out reports of a suspicious individual.

Afterwards, a law enforcement officer approached Crooks on the rooftop mere moments before he shot at Trump.

Although he recognized that there were some serious problems at the Butler rally, he stated that ultimately it is the Secret Service's responsibility to handle security issues that impact their protectee and the general public.