Secret Service chief steps down

Washington: Director of the Secret Service Kimberly Cheatle resigned on Tuesday in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump that unleashed an outcry about how the agency failed in its core mission to protect current and former presidents.

Kimberly Cheatle, who had served as Secret Service director since August 2022, faced growing calls to resign and several investigations into how a gunman was able to get so close to the Republican presidential nominee at an outdoor campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

“I take full responsibility for the security lapse,” she said in an email to staff obtained. “In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director.”