Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle Resigned Under Pressure After the Trump Assassination Attempt

“Our reaction to her resignation is that it is overdue,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said.

Kimberly Cheatle, Director, U.S. Secret Service
Rod Lamkey/AP

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned Tuesday morning, a day after she was pressured to leave her role by members of Congress livid over her agency’s failure to prevent the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

In a statement, President Joe Biden lauded Cheatle’s time in leadership. “As a leader, it takes honor, courage, and incredible integrity to take full responsibility for an organization,” he said.

“The independent review to get to the bottom of what happened on July 13 continues, and I look forward to assessing its conclusions,” he said in the statement. “We all know what happened that day can never happen again. As we move forward, I wish Kim all the best, and I will plan to appoint a new Director soon.”