Resignation of Secret Service director shakes agency after assassination attempt on Trump

The director of the United States Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, has submitted her resignation amid a scandal that has shaken the agency responsible for protecting both current and former presidents of the country. Her resignation comes after it was confirmed that the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump was a failure in the Secret Service's duty to protect him. The incident took place during a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13th, when a 20-year-old man injured Trump's ear. The attacker managed to shoot the former president from a rooftop overlooking the outdoor event in Butler, Pennsylvania, before being taken down by a Secret Service sniper. In addition to Trump, one rally attendee lost their life in the shooting. After appearing before the House Oversight Committee, Cheatle faced bipartisan condemnation for refusing to answer questions about the security plan for the rally and law enforcement's response to the armed man's suspicious behavior. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers demanded her resignation, which eventually materialized with her stepping down. Cheatle's resignation has sparked a crisis within the Secret Service, which is now facing multiple investigations by congressional committees and the Department of Homeland Security's internal oversight body. Even President Joe Biden has called for an independent review of the events surrounding the assassination attempt against Trump. One of the main points of criticism has been the lack of security on the rooftop from which the attacker shot at Trump, despite it being a considerable distance from the stage where the former president was. Former agents and lawmakers have questioned the decision not to secure that area, considering it a serious mistake on the part of the Secret Service. Kimberly Cheatle took over as director of the Secret Service in 2022, after a long career in the agency and in security positions at companies like PepsiCo. Her tenure was marked by a series of previous scandals that had tarnished the agency's reputation, such as the incident in which ten agents were fired for bringing women to their hotel rooms before a presidential trip in 2012. Furthermore, the Secret Service has been embroiled in controversies over alleged deletions of text messages related to the Capitol attack in January 2021. These events have added to the mounting pressure on the agency and led to Cheatle's resignation amidst harsh criticism and demands for explanations from authorities and the public. The resignation of the Secret Service director poses a challenge for the agency at a critical moment, when a thorough review of its security protocols and its ability to protect the country's political leaders is expected. The ongoing investigation will shed light on the failures that allowed the assassination attempt against Trump and determine the necessary measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.