U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has stepped down after widespread calls from lawmakers for her to resign following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, three sources told NBC News.
In her resignation letter, obtained from a senior official who received it, Cheatle wrote that the “scrutiny over the last week has been intense and will continue to remain as our operational tempo increases.” She added she takes “full responsibility for the security lapse.”
“In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your Director,” wrote Cheatle, who had led the agency since September 2022.
It’s unclear when her last day will be.
In a statement, President Joe Biden thanked Cheatle for her service, saying he will appoint her successor to lead the Secret Service “soon.” After the assassination attempt on Trump, Biden ordered an independent review to assess what happened and said Tuesday that he looks forward to reading its conclusions.
Both Democratic and Republican committee members said she should resign over her “incompetence” and her “lame excuses.”
“You’re full of s— today!” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said, slamming Cheatle for dodging questions and being “completely dishonest” about her cooperation with the committee.
“Today, you failed to provide answers to basic questions regarding that stunning operational failure and to reassure the American people that the Secret Service has learned its lessons and begun to correct its systemic blunders and failures,” Comer and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., wrote in a joint letter to Cheatle hours after the hearing.