Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., told Newsmax on Tuesday that the head of the U.S. Secret Service "should have resigned ten days ago," immediately after the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.
Director Kimberly Cheatle, who has led the agency since 2022, resigned on Tuesday, a little over one week after the attack on former President Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania that injured Trump and killed an attendee.
Cheatle wrote in her resignation letter, according to NBC News, "In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your Director."
Smith, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, told "Newsline" that "the director should have resigned ten days ago."
He added, "In fact, I believe President [Joe] Biden should have fired her within 24 hours," or "give her the opportunity to resign."
According to Smith, "Biden should have fired her" after Cheatle did not resign within 24 hours of the shooting, "because it is clear that there was a huge breach of duty that was owed to Donald Trump."
Cheatle wrote in her letter that the "scrutiny over the last week has been intense and will continue to remain as our operational tempo increases."
She also said that she accepts "full responsibility for the security lapse" that allowed the shooter to fire at the rally.
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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