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Wednesday 24 July 2024

Secret Service director steps down after assassination attempt

against ex-President Trump at rally

Continued from Front and I was forced to take number of threats against
a bullet for Democracy. IT the president and other
"I take full responsibility for WAS MY GREAT HONOR TO officials under its protec-
the security lapse," she said DO SO!" tion. It has also managed
in an email to staff obtained The House Homeland Secu- a growing number of high-
by The Associated Press. "In rity Committee had asked profile government figures
light of recent events, it is Cheatle to testify Tuesday asking for support. Staffing
with a heavy heart that I for another hearing on has not kept pace with the
have made the difficult de- the assassination attempt, workload increase. Around
cision to step down as your but lawmakers said she Sept. 11 there were about
director." refused. Cheatle's name 15 full-time protectees. That
Cheatle's departure was was on a card on a table number has now more than
unlikely to end the scrutiny in front of an empty chair doubled.
of the long-troubled agen- during the hearing, which Trump is the first modern
cy after the failures of July began shortly before her ex-president to seek an-
13, and it comes at a criti- Kimberly Cheatle, Director, U.S. Secret Service, testifies during decision to step down be- other term, and because
cal juncture ahead of the a House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing came public. of his high visibility, his pro-
Democratic National Con- on Oversight of the U.S. Secret Service and the Attempted Investigating an ever-grow- tective detail has always
vention and a busy presi- Assassination of President Donald J. Trump, on Capitol Hill, ing number of threats been larger than some oth-
dential campaign season. Monday, July 22, 2024, in Washington. Associated Press The Secret Service is a ers. That protective bubble
Lawmakers on both sides part of the Department of got tighter in recent months
of the aisle have promised 23 years. suspicious person two to five Homeland Security, which as he drew closer to the
more investigations. An in- "At this moment in time, times before the rally shoot- includes immigration, trans- nomination. All major party
spector general probe and we must remain focused," ing. She also revealed that portation security and the nominees are granted en-
an independent, bipartisan Rowe said in a note to staff the roof from which Crooks Coast Guard. The depart- hanced details with coun-
effort launched at Presi- obtained by AP. "We will fired had been identified ment was formed after the terassault and counter-
dent Joe Biden's behest restore the faith and con- as a potential vulnerability Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist at- sniper teams similar to the
will keep the agency in the fidence of the American days earlier. But she failed tacks. president.
spotlight. public and the people we to answer many questions A few years ago, there was Calls for accountability
Cheatle's resignation came are entrusted to protect." about what happened, in- a movement to shift the There were calls for ac-
a day after she appeared Congressional questioning cluding why there were no agency back to the Treas- countability across the
before a congressional At the hearing Monday, agents on the roof. ury Department, where it political spectrum, with
committee and was berat- Cheatle remained defi- A bloodied Trump was was housed before Sept. congressional commit-
ed for hours by both Dem- ant that she was the "right quickly escorted off the 11, particularly because tees immediately moving
ocrats and Republicans person" to lead the Secret stage by Secret Service Homeland Security's in- to investigate and issuing
for the security failures. Service, even as she said agents, and agency snip- tense focus on immigration subpoenas. Top Republi-
She called the attempt on she took responsibility for ers killed the shooter. Trump added to the growing di- can leaders from both the
Trump's life the Secret Serv- the failures. When Repub- said part of his right ear was vide between what the Se- House and the Senate said
ice's "most significant oper- lican Rep. Nancy Mace pierced in the shooting. cret Service sees as its dual Cheatle should step down.
ational failure" in decades, suggested Cheatle begin One rallygoer was killed, missions — protecting the Biden, a Democrat, or-
but she angered lawmak- drafting her resignation let- and two others were criti- president and investigating dered an independent
ers by failing to answer spe- ter from the hearing room, cally wounded. financial crime — and the review into security at the
cific questions about the Cheatle responded, "No, Details continue to emerge mission of its parent depart- rally, and the Secret Serv-
investigation. thank you." about signs of trouble that ment. But that movement ice's inspector general
Biden said in a statement The 20-year-old shooter, day and the roles of the stalled. opened an investigation.
that "what happened that Thomas Matthew Crooks, Secret Service and local Roughly half of the Secret The agency is also review-
day can never happen was able to get within 135 authorities. The agency Service's $3 billion budget ing its countersniper team's
again," and he planned meters (157 yards) of the routinely relies on local law is spent on protective serv- "preparedness and opera-
to appoint a new director stage where the former enforcement to secure the ices. It also has a robust tions."
soon, but he did not discuss president was speaking perimeter of events. Former cybercrime division, state- On Tuesday, Republican
a timeline. when he opened fire. That's top Secret Service agents of-the-art forensic labs and House Speaker Mike John-
The president and Home- despite a threat on Trump's said the gunman should a threat-assessment center son said Cheatle's resigna-
land Security Secretary Ale- life from Iran that led to never have been allowed that studies how to mitigate tion was "overdue."
jandro Mayorkas thanked additional security for the to gain access to the roof. and train against threats. "Now we have to pick up
Cheatle for her service. former president in the After Cheatle's resignation, With a workforce of 7,800 the pieces. We have to
Mayorkas appointed Dep- days before the rally. Trump posted on his social special agents, uniformed rebuild the American peo-
uty Director Ronald Rowe Cheatle acknowledged media network: "The Biden/ officers and other staff, the ple's faith and trust in the
as acting director. He has Monday that the Secret Harris Administration did Secret Service has investi- Secret Service as an agen-
worked for the agency for Service was told about a not properly protect me, gated an ever-increasing cy," Johnson said.q