Democratic Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania is calling for Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign following the assassination attempt on former President Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania last weekend.
Boyle is the first Democrat to call on Cheatle to resign.
“In light of the shooting of a presidential candidate in western Pennsylvania last weekend, I call on Secretary Cheatle to resign immediately,” Boyle said in a statement Saturday.
“The evidence that has emerged demonstrates unacceptable operational failures,” he continued. “If Director Cheatle remains in his position, I have no confidence in the leadership of the United States Secret Service.”
Trump tells Jesse Watters he wasn’t warned about shooter despite reports
Rep. Brendan Boyle is the first Democrat to call for Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign. (Getty Images)
Trump survived an assassination attempt on July 13 at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from the roof of a building. One rally-goer was killed trying to shield his wife and daughter from the gunfire, and several others were injured, including Trump, who suffered an ear injury.
The Secret Service has faced intense criticism since the shooting over concerns about how Crooks was able to get onto the rooftop within view of Trump as he spoke at a rally.
Several Republican lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, have called for the appointment of new leadership for the Secret Service in the wake of the shooting.
“Last week’s near assassination attempt on former President Trump was a grave attack on American democracy,” McConnell wrote on social media platform X on Wednesday. “The public deserves accountability and responsibility, and new leadership at the Secret Service would be an important step in that direction.”
But Cheatle said he has no plans to resign.
“I plan on staying,” she told ABC News.
Secret Service responds to reports that it “repeatedly” rejected Trump’s requests for security in the past
Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump attends the second day of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA on July 16, 2024. (Reuters/Callahan O’Hare)
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said after the shooting that he had “100% confidence” in the Secret Service, which operates under the department of Homeland Security.
President Biden has ordered an independent investigation into security at the rally, and Cheatle said in a statement last week that the Secret Service would cooperate with the independent investigation and work with Congress on any surveillance measures.
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Republican lawmakers have vowed to hold a congressional investigation into the shooting, and Cheatle is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Monday.
“The American people want Director Kimberly Cheatle to explain the Secret Service’s historic security failures that led to the assassination attempt on President Trump, the killing of an innocent victim, and the harm to others in the crowd,” Kentucky Republican Party Chairman James Comer said in a statement. “We look forward to Director Cheatle’s testimony on Monday, July 22, to provide the transparency and accountability the American people deserve.”
