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By Andrew Stanton
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Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned following a brutal Congressional hearing into the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.
Her resignation was reported by the Associated Press Tuesday morning.
She announced her resignation in an email sent to staff, the AP reported. Cheatle has served in her position since August 2022.
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"I take 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 said in the letter, according to the AP.
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Cheatle testified before the House Oversight Committee on Monday about the shooting at Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13. During the four-hour hearing, the bi-partisan committee probed Cheatle about how gunman Matthew Thomas Crooks was able to fire shots at the rally, grazing Trump's ear and killing one other rallygoer. The agency's handling of the shooting has sparked backlash from both Republicans and Democrats.
Cheatle faced widespread criticism following her testimony on Monday, with lawmakers questioning her about the agency's failure to prevent the shooting. Critics accused her of refusing to answer key questions about the agency, prompting calls for her resignation.
Newsweek emailed the Secret Service's media contact Tuesday afternoon.
Representative Jim Banks, an Indiana Republican, responded to news of her resignation in a post to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
"Facing the threat of impeachment, Secret Service Director Cheatle decided to resign. She failed President Trump, Corey Comperatore, and the American people on 7/13. Her resignation is just the first step. Republicans must continue pushing for a complete investigation into the security failures that led to this grave attack on our democracy," he wrote.
Representative Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican, wrote that her resignation was "long overdue."
"The failure to answer basic questions over the last ten days and at yesterday's Congressional hearing was a disgrace. House Republicans will not rest until we have 100% transparency and accountability," she wrote.
In a Tuesday statement, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said Cheatle's resignation is a "step toward accountability," but added:
"We need a full review of how these security failures happened so that we can prevent them going forward. We will continue our oversight of the Secret Service in support of the House Task Force to deliver transparency, accountability, and solutions to ensure this never happens again."
Update: 7/23/2024: 11:21 a.m.. ET: This article has been updated with more information.
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