The first Democrat has joined Republicans in their call on Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle to resign following the would-be assassination of former President Donald Trump.
Democrat Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) said the evidence that “is coming to light” has shown “unacceptable operational failures” and that he has no confidence Cheatle can continue effectively running the Secret Service.
Director Cheatle must resign immediately.
— Rep. Brendan Boyle (@CongBoyle) July 21, 2024
My statement calling for the resignation of United States Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle: pic.twitter.com/q0ONU8PlAF
Hours after the would-be assassination took place, Boyle also condemned the political violence that took place during Trump’s Pennsylvania rally last week.
Political violence has no place whatsoever in the United States.
— Rep. Brendan Boyle (@CongBoyle) July 13, 2024
I’m glad former President Trump is okay and hoping that everyone at today’s rally is safe.
Today and everyday, I’m thankful for everything the men and women in law enforcement do to keep Americans safe.
Cheatle is facing intense scrutiny over the troubling details regarding the breach of security that left Trump injured.
In a resurfaced video, Cheatle admitted she pushed for DEI initiatives within the agency and vowed to hire more women despite their lack of qualifications. Her focus is for the department to be made up of at least 30 percent women by 2030.
At the time of the would-be assassination, Trump was surrounded by several female agents— one of which could be seen fumbling with her holster after the gunman fired several rounds at the former president.
On Saturday, Cheatle and several other senior officials at the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement defending women who work in the Secret Service.
"In the days following the attempted assassination of former President Trump, some people have made public statements questioning the presence of women in law enforcement, including in the United States Secret Service," the statement read. "These assertions are baseless and insulting."
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) have also called for Cheatle to step down.
However, she has no plans of leaving her position at the agency.
On Monday, she is slated to testify before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, where she will be forced to explain how a sniper crawled on a roof just 150 meters from Trump without law enforcement noticing.
Chairman of the committee James Comer (R-KY) said Americans deserve answers "about the Secret Service's historic security failures that led to the attempted assassination of President Trump, murder of an innocent victim, and harm to others in the crowd."
On the contrary, Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said he has "100% confidence" in the Secret Service after the tragic incident.