With just a single day of congressional grilling in the books — and more on the docket — it appears Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has had enough.
The embattled director is reportedly ditching her post just a day after a contentious House hearing that left many questioning Cheatle’s ability to do her job.
Fox News’ Bill Melugin and the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project were among those who reported the story Tuesday morning.
BREAKING: US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has resigned.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) July 23, 2024
🚨BREAKING OVERSIGHT PROJECT EXCLUSIVE🚨
Secret Service Director Cheatle is stepping down.
She just emailed the work force
— Oversight Project (@OversightPR) July 23, 2024
On Monday, Cheatle was torched over the way she presided over the Secret Service detail during the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
Everyone, from the usual suspects to even those you wouldn’t expect, took umbrage with the response from Cheatle’s unit.
There was the usual aggressive rhetoric from conservative firebrands such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, but in a twist, guess who agreed with the Georgia Republican?
Her old rival, New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez:
Why was the Secret Service’s protective perimeter in Butler shorter than the range of an AR-15?
It does not take 60 days to answer that question.
The agency’s failure to publicly account for these questions and others from Congress is unacceptable.
Dir. Cheatle should resign. pic.twitter.com/5C50Qi5EJS
— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@RepAOC) July 23, 2024
Perhaps seeing the writing on the wall with Ocasio-Cortez and Greene in rare agreement, Cheatle — who was facing articles of impeachment filed after the hearing — seemingly opted to resign rather than face further scrutiny.
At least one notable fan of the move: tech mogul Elon Musk, who responded to Melugin’s report with a simple retort:
“High time,” he said of Cheatle’s resignation.
High time
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 23, 2024
Just two days after the Butler incident, Cheatle put out a statement that clearly didn’t assuage any concerns about her ability to do her job.
“I would like to start by extending my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Corey Comperatore, who was killed during the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life in Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday, as well as those who were injured during this senseless act of violence,” she said in the July 15 statement.
“Secret Service personnel on the ground moved quickly during the incident, with our counter sniper team neutralizing the shooter and our agents implementing protective measures to ensure the safety of former president Donald Trump,” Cheatle said.
