Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned Tuesday over the agency’s failure to prevent the assassination attempt against Donald Trump, according to two people familiar with the move.
Cheatle, who initially attempted to salvage her position and described herself Monday as the best person to lead the agency despite admitted failures on her watch, revealed her decision in an internal message to Secret Service employees. An agency spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Her announcement follows a grueling hearing Monday before the House Oversight Committee, which featured bipartisan condemnations of her performance and frustration at her inability to answer basic questions about how a shooter was not stopped before firing multiple shots at Trump, injuring him and killing a spectator at a Pennsylvania rally on July 13. Both Democrats and Republicans called for her resignation afterward.
“It is overdue,” Speaker Mike Johnson said moments after learning the news. “She should have done this at least a week ago. I’m happy to see that.”
Johnson said a bipartisan task force the House announced earlier Tuesday to investigate the attempted assassination will continue.
