Biden Praises Ex-Security Director Kimberly Cheatle

(FeaturedHeadlines.com) Following the assassination attempt against former US President Donald Trump, then-Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle came under heavy scrutiny for failing to prevent the incident. Cheatle eventually resigned from her leadership role, but nevertheless, received praise from US President Joe Biden.

Biden thanked Cheatle for dedicating and risking her life to protect the United States throughout her career. Cheatle began serving in the Secret Service in 1995 and temporarily left the agency to work as PepsiCo’s senior director of global security. Cheatle then returned to the Secret Service in 2022 to lead the agency under the Biden administration.

Biden wished Cheatle “all the best” moving forward. Biden also said that he intends to appoint a new Secret Service director soon. The US Department of Homeland Security said that Secret Service Deputy Director Ronald Rowe may take over leadership of the agency.

Cheatle resigned as director after the Secret Service failed to prevent an assassination attempt against Trump at a campaign event in Pennsylvania on July 13. Cheatle initially said that she intended to remain in the leadership role, but resigned after receiving significant criticism from lawmakers and the general public.

The Secret Service “fell short” of its mission to protect the country’s leaders, Cheatle said. During a US House Oversight Committee hearing, Cheatle called the assassination attempt “the most significant operational failure” by the agency in decades.

Lawmakers of both parties grilled Cheatle during the hearing. Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin said that lawmakers’ relationship with Cheatle became “irretrievable” and that she lost the confidence of the Congress.

Cheatle’s reluctance or inability to answer some questions also frustrated lawmakers during the hearing. Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace blasted Cheatle as being “full of s—” and dishonest with the committee. Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna also suggested that Cheatle may have committed perjury during her testimony.

Although lawmakers were fed up with Cheatle, Biden attempted to give her a gracious sendoff, following years of work for the Secret Service prior to her failure.

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