BREAKING: Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle Resigns Following Humiliating Hearing

Following a humiliating House Oversight hearing performance on Monday and a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers demanding her resignation, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle announced her resignation on Tuesday. Cheatle's announcement comes just ten days after a lone gunman attempted to assassinate 45th President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which resulted in the president being hit in the ear, the death of one supporter in the audience, and the serious injury of two others.

After lawmakers from both sides condemned Cheatle's unwillingness to step down following the incident, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) explained that her inability to answer basic questions about the circumstances of that day was not satisfactory for lawmakers. 

"On July 13, 2024, the United States Secret Service under your leadership failed to protect former President Donald Trump from an assassination attempt that took the life of Corey Comperatore and seriously injured at least two other people. Today, you failed to answer basic questions regarding that stunning operational failure and to reassure the American people that the Secret Service has learned its lessons and begun to correct its systemic blunders and failures," the two lawmakers wrote. "In the middle of a presidential election, the Committee and the American people demand serious institutional accountability and transparency that you are not providing. We call on you to resign as Director as a first step to allowing new leadership to swiftly address this crisis and rebuild the trust of a truly concerned Congress and the American people."

In an email to Secret Service agents, Cheatle explained that the agency "fell short" of its mission to protect the president. "I do not want my calls for resignation to be a distraction from the great work each and every one of you do towards our vital mission," she wrote, adding that, "in light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director."

Following her resignation, President Biden, who will appoint Cheatle's successor, released a statement that praised her willingness to resign. "As a leader, it takes honor, courage, and incredible integrity to take full responsibility for an organization tasked with one of the most challenging jobs in public service."

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