(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project reported Tuesday that Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is stepping down a day after her disastrous performance at a congressional hearing into the assassination attempt against presidential frontrunner Donald Trump.
“Secret Service Director Cheatle is stepping down. She just emailed the work force,” the Oversight Project said on Twitter/X.
🚨BREAKING OVERSIGHT PROJECT EXCLUSIVE🚨
Secret Service Director Cheatle is stepping down.
She just emailed the work force
— Oversight Project (@OversightPR) July 23, 2024
Numerous other media outlets and elected representatives confirmed the report minutes later.
There had been rumors of Cheatle’s impending resignation over the weekend, but on Monday she told lawmakers she intended to remain as director to ensure “integrity” of the ongoing investigation into the security failures at the July 13 rally.
But after the House Oversight Committee hearing, Chairmain James Comer, R-Ky., and ranking member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., signed a joint letter demanding Cheatle’s resignation.
The bipartisan call for Cheatle’s resignation came immediately after she failed to answer the simplest of questions at Monday’s hearing, including how alleged shooter Thomas Crooks was able to access the rooftop within 200 yards of Donald Trump during his July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Cheatle also couldn’t provide a timeline of events for Congress.
“Today, you failed to provide answers to 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,” Comer and Raskin said.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-SC, went a step farther, calling for Cheatle’s impeachment.
WATCH us introduce a privileged motion to impeach Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle. The House has NEVER voted on an impeachment of an inferior civil officer … but historic times call for historic measures. pic.twitter.com/sRxXJkgsBo
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) July 23, 2024
Cheatle’s reported resignation may not end her public headache. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is pushing to charge her with perjury.
“Director Cheatle gave conflicting answers today regarding whether or not they were aware of a threat before shots were fired at President Trump. After today’s transcripts confirm her deception, I call for perjury charges against Kimberly Cheatle,” Luna said Monday.
To Luna’s point, Headline USA also spotted inconsistent answers by Cheatle.
When Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., asked her whether the rooftop used by the Trump shooter was identified as a security threat before the event, Cheatle said she didn’t know. But when asked the same question later by Rep. Tim Burchett, R-SC, she said that it was identified as a security threat.
🚨WATCH🚨
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle provided two different answers today when questioned by @RepDonaldsPress and @RepTimBurchett about whether the rooftop used by the Trump shooter was identified as a security threat before the event. pic.twitter.com/5FCDQU3gPJ— Headline USA (@HeadlineUSA) July 23, 2024
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
