The United States Secret Service Director, Kimberly Cheatle, has described the agency’s failure to protect former President Donald Trump at a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania as “the most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades. However, she made no indication that she would resign. During the first congressional hearing on the assassination attempt since it occurred, Cheatle stated, “The assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on July 13 is the most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades.” She added, “The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders. On July 13, we failed.
As director of the Secret Service, she took “full responsibility for any security lapse of our agency,” but stopped short of announcing any measures for accountability. Instead, she said that the agency is “fully cooperating with ongoing investigations.
We must learn what happened and I will move heaven and earth to ensure that an incident like July 13 does not happen again,” she assured. Despite numerous calls for her resignation over the last week, Cheatle indicated she would not step down from her position. In fact, she told lawmakers during the hearing, “I think that I am the best person to lead the Secret Service at this time.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) both called for Cheatle to resign during the hearing.