Media: Secret-Service Chief resigns after attack on Trump
Cheatle admitted at a hearing before a US Congress committee on a Monday that her agency "failed" on July 13th, when an assassin shot at Trump during a campaign rally. She referred to it as the "most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades."
Representatives from Democrats and Republicans had called for Cheatle's resignation after the assassination attempt on Trump in the city of Butler. Trump had barely survived, being hit by a bullet in the right ear. A man in the audience was killed, and two other attendees of the rally were severely injured. The alleged shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot by a Secret Service sharpshooter - 26 seconds after he had fired the first shots at Trump.
Immediately after the attack, the question arose as to how Crooks could have positioned himself with his weapon approximately 150 meters away from Trump on a roof.
Cheatle was appointed head of the Secret Service by US-President Joe Biden in 2022. Prior to that, she had worked for the agency for 27 years, before serving as security chief for the beverage company PepsiCo for the North American region in 2021 on a temporary basis.
- The incident received extensive coverage in various US-Media outlets, with the Associated Press (APF) leading the report on the failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
- During the US Congress hearing, Cheatle acknowledged that the media's reporting on the incident played a significant role in raising public concern about the Secret Service's capabilities and security protocols.
- Following the controversial rental of the roof where the assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was positioned, US Congress began investigating the role of local officials and businesses in facilitating potential threats against the US-President.
- AFP released a photo of Kimberly Cheatle at the hearing, providing a stark contrast to her previous appearance as the confident and capable Chief of Secret Service.
- In the aftermath of the assassination attempt, there were calls for increased transparency and accountability within the Secret Service, with some members of the US Congress proposing new legislation to enhance security protocols and public oversight.
- Despite the widespread criticism and calls for her resignation, Cheatle remained committed to improving the Secret Service's operations and regaining public trust in the organization.
