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JUST IN: Top Democrat Calls For Secret Service Director’s Resignation After Grilling Her

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5 months ago

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US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle was put in the hot seat by House Oversight Committee lawmakers on Monday. The committee, composed of both Republican and Democratic leaders, didn’t hold back as they grilled Cheatle over the agency’s recent security lapse.

Her failures, they argued, directly contributed to the alarming incident at a Pennsylvania rally where a gunman managed to get a clear shot at former President Donald Trump. On Monday Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) joined the chorus of voices calling for Cheatle’s resignation, making him the second Democrat to do so.

“Look, I’m not questioning your judgment. I just don’t think this is partisan… an assassination attempt on a president, a former president, or a candidate, you need to resign,” said Khanna.

“That’s what Stuart Knight did. He was a Republican appointee, and he took responsibility. And I think you need to reflect. This is not a question of you. It’s a question of the American people. You cannot go leading a Secret Service agency when there is an assassination attempt on a presidential candidate.”

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The call from the California Democrat for her resignation follows an earlier demand by Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA), who was the first in the party to say that Cheatle should step down.

“I am calling on Director Cheatle to resign immediately following last weekend’s shooting of a Presidential candidate in Western Pennsylvania,” Boyle wrote on X over the weekend. “The evidence coming to light has shown unacceptable operational failures. I have no confidence in the leadership of the United States Secret Service if Director Cheatle chooses to remain in her position.”

As investigators continue their search for the attacker’s motive, new details about the gunman have slowly emerged. Despite acknowledging that the agency “failed” during the incident, Cheatle largely defended her decision to remain in her role. Her testimony caused substantial frustration among lawmakers, particularly due to her repeated evasion of their questions. The backlash even culminated in a rare bipartisan call for Cheatle’s resignation.

On Monday afternoon Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) penned a bipartisan letter demanding the resignation of the Secret Service Director.

“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,” they wrote. “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.”

“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.”

Cheatle, who took on her current role in 2022, has been with the Secret Service since 1995 and previously led the protective detail for Joe Biden during his tenure as vice president.

(VOTE NOW: Should SS Director Cheatle RESIGN Immediately?)



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