Secret Service Director Cheatle resigns after acknowledging attack on Trump was an “operational failure"

U.S. Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle resigned Tuesday after calls for her to step down in the wake of the federal agency’s missteps that enabled an assassin to fire shots at Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump from a nearby commercial building rooftop.

The shootings killed New York City firefighter Corey Comperatore who died trying to protect his wife and daughter, and injured three others including Trump whose ear was grazed by a bullet.

Trump turned his head to look at a chart featuring immigration statistics at the precise moment the bullet buzzed by, purportedly saving his life.

The Secret Service chief’s resignation came after calls from both Democratic and Republican congressional members and thorough questions on Monday during a House Oversight Committee hearing.

Calls for Cheatle’s resignation only increased as congressional representatives complained that she appeared to be dodging questions with answers designed to distract from them from what led to the actual events in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Despite her best efforts to promise a thorough investigation into her own missteps, Cheatle released a resignation letter on Tuesday, writing that “scrutiny over the last week has been intense and will continue to remain as our operational tempo increases.”

She said 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,” she wrote after leading the federal law enforcement agency since September 2022.

Her letter did not reference when her last day would be.

House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said at a Tuesday news conference that Cheatle's resignation was appropriate.

“It is overdue,” he said. “She should have done this at least a week ago.”

President Biden thanked his outgoing USSS chief, who started with the agency in 1995, for her career in with the federal government. 

“She has selflessly dedicated and risked her life to protect our nation throughout her career in the United States Secret Service,” he said on behalf of The White House. “We especially thank her for answering the call to lead the Secret Service during our Administration and we are grateful for her service to our family.”

In a letter released by The White House, the president addressed  Cheatle’s critics since the attempted assassination on his Republican rival.

“As a leader, it takes honor, courage, and incredible integrity to take full responsibility for an organization tasked with one of the most challenging jobs in public service,” he said.

Trump also responded to Cheatle’s resignation, writing 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!”

The assassin, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, sneaked atop a building rooftop about 150 yards from the GOP rally and fired shots at the former president before being neutralized by a Secret Service counter-sniper. 

Crooks was instantly killed.

Federal investigators are continuing to probe why Crooks was spotted before Trump began speaking but no one took counter-measures until after he began firing shots at the former president.

Officials are also investigating why the building was not secured before the Pennsylvania based Republican rally started.