US Secret Service Boss Kimberly Cheatle Finally Resigns Post-Trump Shooting

Donald Trump's condition after the shooting/PHOTO via Instagram @giorgiameloni

JAKARTA - Director of the United States Secret Service (US) Kimberly Cheatle resigned after receiving sharp attention due to his failure to stop a potential killer who shot former President Donald Trump during a general meeting campaign.

As reported by Reuters on Tuesday, July 23, Secret Service, which is in charge of protecting the current US president and former president, is facing a crisis after an armed man opened fire on Trump from the roof overlooking a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13.

Cheatle faced bipartisan condemnation when he came before the US parliamentary Supervisory Committee, refusing to answer questions from frustrated lawmakers over security plans for Trump's campaign and how law enforcement responded to the suspicious behavior of the gunman.

Several Republican and Democratic lawmakers asked Cheatle to resign.

Trump, a Republican presidential candidate, suffered injuries to his right ear and a general meeting participant was killed in the shot.

The gunman, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper.

"Although the resignation of the Cheatle Director is a step towards accountability, we need a thorough review of how this security failure happened so that we can prevent it in the future," James Comer, chairman of the Republican House of Representatives Supervisory Committee.

"We will continue our supervision of the Secret Service," he added.

Cheatle, who has led the Secret Service since 2022, told lawmakers he was responsible for the shooting, calling it the Secret Service's biggest failure since President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.

Secret Service faces investigations from various congressional committees and internal watchdogs of the US Department of Homeland Security, its parent organization, over its performance. President Joe Biden, who has ended his re-election campaign, has also called for an independent review.

Most of the criticism focused on failing to secure the roof of an industrial building where the gunman was perched about 150 yards (140 meters) from the stage where Trump addressed.

The roof of the building was outside Secret Service's security limits for the event, a decision the former agent and member of parliament criticized.

Cheatle played the highest security role at PepsiCo when Biden appointed him Director of the Secret Service in 2022. He previously served for 27 years at the agency.

He took over from office following a series of scandals involving the Secret Service that damaged the reputation of the elite and lecherous institution.