(TheRedWire.com) – This past Tuesday, ex-President Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Kimberley Cheatle, the former director of the Secret Service, following her decision to resign. Her resignation came after a critical review of the agency’s operations due to a recent assassination attempt against Trump, which fortunately left him mostly unscathed after a bullet only grazed his ear. Tragically, the incident at a Pennsylvania rally resulted in one attendee’s death and injuries to two others.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Trump lamented his lack of adequate protection, claiming, “She never gave me proper protection, so I ended up having to take a bullet for democracy.” He added that there were numerous requests for additional support at the event that went unanswered, despite his claim of drawing unprecedented crowd sizes.
The efficacy of the Secret Service’s security measures was a major point of contention in a congressional hearing with Cheatle. It was revealed that the shooter was able to position himself alarmingly close to Trump, taking up a spot on a rooftop just 150 yards away.
Cheatle acknowledged her accountability in an internal email that was later shared with The Associated Press. “I take full responsibility for the security lapse,” she stated, expressing sorrow over the incident and her decision to leave the agency.
Her resignation was something both political parties seemed to agree was necessary. Speaker Mike Johnson remarked on the day of her resignation, “She should have resigned at least a week ago. I’m happy to see that she has heeded the call of both Republicans and Democrats.”
Johnson also highlighted the path forward, showing the importance of a thorough investigation and reevaluation of the Secret Service by a bipartisan House task force, indicating that there is significant work ahead to ensure such a breach does not occur again.
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