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Kimberly Cheatle

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Kimberly Cheatle
Official portrait, 2018
27th Director of the United States Secret Service
In office
September 17, 2022 – July 23, 2024
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byJames M. Murray
Succeeded byRonald L. Rowe Jr. (acting)
Personal details
Born1970/1971 (age 53–54)
Hinsdale, Illinois, U.S.
EducationEastern Illinois University (BA)
AwardsPresidential Rank Award (2021)

Kimberly A. Cheatle (born 1970/1971[1]) is an American former law enforcement officer who served as the 27th director of the United States Secret Service from 2022 until 2024. After serving in the Secret Service from 1995 to 2019, she worked as senior director of global security at PepsiCo from 2019 to 2022. Appointed director of the Secret Service by President Joe Biden, she assumed the office on 17 September 2022, becoming the second woman to hold the position.

Following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a campaign rally on July 13, 2024, the Secret Service was widely criticized over security lapses. On July 22, Cheatle testified before the United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, where she faced bipartisan calls for her resignation. She resigned on July 23 and was succeeded by acting director Ronald L. Rowe Jr.

Early life and education

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Cheatle was born in Hinsdale, Illinois, and grew up in Danville, Illinois.[2] She completed her undergraduate studies at Eastern Illinois University with a major in sociology and a concentration in criminal justice.[3]

Career

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Cheatle joined the United States Secret Service in 1995.[4] She was involved in the evacuation of Vice President of the United States Dick Cheney during the September 11 attacks and served on Joe Biden's protective detail during the Obama administration, when she was assigned to the Vice Presidential Protective Division.[5] In 2017 and 2018, she served as deputy assistant director. She served[when?] as special-agent-in-charge in the Grand Rapids, Michigan office. She became[when?] the first woman to serve as assistant director of Protective Operations, a unit tasked with protection of the President of the United States and dignitaries.[6]

From 2019 to 2022, Cheatle served as senior director of global security at PepsiCo.[7][8]

In 2021, President Joe Biden awarded Cheatle a Presidential Rank Award for exceptional performance.[9] In August 2022, President Biden announced the appointment of Cheatle as director of the United States Secret Service,[10] and she assumed office on September 17, 2022.[11] She was the second woman to hold the position.[12] Cheatle took over the Secret Service following "a turbulent couple of months in which the agency best known for protecting presidents has faced controversies related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol."[13]

In 2023, Cheatle told CBS News the agency needed to "attract diverse candidates and give opportunities to everybody in the workforce, particularly women," outlining her goal that by 2030, thirty percent of its recruits would be female.[14]

In April 2024, after a female agent on Vice President Kamala Harris's detail attacked her superior officer and other agents,[15] United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer requested a briefing with Cheatle to address issues regarding hiring, training and disciplinary processes. The Secret Service downplayed reports of a petition circulating within the agency alleging security vulnerabilities arising from these processes.[16][17] Cheatle's previous statements regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion became a frequent target for criticism by commentators after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.[18][19][20][21] The Secret Service called criticism of female agents "misogynistic" and reaffirmed its belief where diversity in recruiting was "helping, not hurting, the effectiveness of its protective teams."[22]

Attempted assassination of Donald Trump

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Main article: Attempted assassination of Donald Trump

On July 13, 2024, during the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, Cheatle was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the 2024 Republican National Convention was due to commence in two days. In the wake of the shooting and criticism of her leadership, Cheatle acknowledged the failure of the Secret Service, calling it "unacceptable." However, Cheatle told ABC News that she would not resign from her position[23] and defended herself by saying that local law enforcement had been responsible for securing the building from which the shooter launched his attack.[24][25]

On July 20, 2024, Congressman Brendan Boyle (D-PA) called on Cheatle to resign in the wake of the assassination attempt against Trump, making him the first congressional Democrat to do so.[26] Earlier, House Speaker Mike Johnson called on Cheatle to resign, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called for new leadership at the agency on the same day.[27]

On July 22, 2024, Cheatle testified before the United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability about the assassination attempt.[28] During the hearing, she acknowledged it was "the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades" and faced a bipartisan chorus of lawmakers calling for her to resign. Her testimony was condemned by House members of both parties for being evasive and uninformative.[29] At one point, Cheatle's answer to a question by Marjorie Taylor Greene was so uninformative that members of the audience in the hearing room laughed at her.[30] However, she pledged not to resign.[31][32][33] Cheatle also declined to answer questions about whether the Secret Service had rebuffed requests for additional resources for Trump's security detail in the two years leading up to the assassination attempt; the week prior an agency spokesman denied that any such requests had been turned down.[34][35]

Cheatle resigned from her position as the director of the Secret Service on July 23, 2024.[36][37] Because she received ongoing threats, she was assigned her own security detail.[38]

References

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  1. ^ Balk, Tim (July 18, 2024). "What to Know About Kimberly Cheatle, the Secret Service Director". The New York Times. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  2. ^ Goudie, Chuck; Markoff, Barb; Tressel, Christine; Jones, Tom (May 2, 2024). "Chicago DNC 2024 will be a homecoming for the Director of the US Secret Service". WLS-TV. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  3. ^ Hardy, Cam'ron. "From Eastern alum to director of the Secret Service". The Daily Eastern News. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  4. ^ Shein, Maggie (July 1, 2022). "Kimberly Cheatle, Senior Director – Global Security at PepsiCo". Security Magazine.
  5. ^ "Women in Security 2022: Kimberly Cheatle, PepsiCo | Security Magazine". www.securitymagazine.com. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  6. ^ "Biden names new Secret Service director amid Jan. 6 scrutiny". AP News. August 24, 2022.
  7. ^ "Statement from President Biden on the Appointment of Kimberly Cheatle to be the Next Director of the United States Secret Service". The White House. August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  8. ^ Greene, Shayna (August 24, 2022). "Biden announces new head of Secret Service". POLITICO. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  9. ^ Shear, Michael D. (August 24, 2022). "Biden Names Kim Cheatle to Lead Secret Service". The New York Times.
  10. ^ "Statement from President Biden on the Appointment of Kimberly Cheatle to be the Next Director of the United States Secret Service". The White House. Executive Office of the President of the United States. August 24, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  11. ^ "Director Kimberly A. Cheatle". United States Secret Service. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  12. ^ Shear, Michael D. (August 24, 2022). "Biden Names Kim Cheatle to Lead Secret Service". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  13. ^ Corse, Alexa (August 24, 2022). "Secret Service Veteran Kimberly Cheatle Named as New Director". The Wall Street Journal.
  14. ^ Diaz, Adriana; Novak, Analisa; Triay, Andres (May 18, 2023). "Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle addresses controversies, challenges facing the agency - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
  15. ^ "Secret Service officer who fought colleagues while assigned to Kamala Harris once sued Dallas for $1M, claiming gender bias". April 25, 2024. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  16. ^ "Comer Requests Briefing from U.S. Secret Service After Incidents Linked to 'Inadequate Training'". Committee on Oversight and Accountability. May 30, 2024. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  17. ^ Lebowitz, Megan (April 25, 2024). "Secret Service removes agent from Kamala Harris' detail after 'distressing' behavior". NBC News. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  18. ^ Ewe, Koh (July 15, 2024). "Critics Blame 'DEI' for Trump's Shooting". TIME. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  19. ^ "Secret Service says it's appalled by DEI rhetoric against female agents after Trump rally shooting". NBC News. July 18, 2024. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  20. ^ Lorenz, Taylor; Nix, Naomi; Tiku, Nitasha (July 16, 2024). "Right-wing influencers use Trump assassination attempt to attack DEI". Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  21. ^ Edmondson, Catie (July 16, 2024). "After Trump Assassination Attempt, Right Points Finger at Female Agents". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  22. ^ Ingram, David; Bunn, Curtis (July 17, 2024). "Secret Service says it's appalled by DEI rhetoric against female agents after Trump rally shooting". NBC News. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  23. ^ Reinstein, Julia; Barr, Luke; Owen, Quinn; Mallin, Alexander; Date, Jack (July 15, 2024). "ABC Exclusive: Trump rally shooting 'unacceptable,' Secret Service director says". ABC News. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  24. ^ "Secret Service Director Suggests Roof Used by Shooter Was Too Dangerous for Agents to Stand On". National Review. July 16, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  25. ^ Smith, Jennifer (July 17, 2024). Secret Service director asked if Trump rally perimeter was too small. Hear her response | CNN Politics. Retrieved July 17, 2024 – via www.cnn.com.
  26. ^ Suter, Tara (July 20, 2024). "Democratic rep calls for Secret Service director to resign after Trump rally shooting". The Hill. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  27. ^ Suter, Tara (July 17, 2024). "McConnell calls for new leadership of Secret Service". The Hill. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  28. ^ "Secret Service chief Kimberly Cheatle faces grilling over Trump shooting". www.bbc.com. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  29. ^ "Hearing Highlights: Secret Service Chief Pummeled by Lawmakers Who Called for Her Resignation". Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  30. ^ "Congress calls for Secret Service boss to resign for 'failed' Trump rally security". BBC News. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  31. ^ Broadwater, Luke (July 22, 2024). "Live Updates: Secret Service Chief Testifies on 'Failed' Response at Trump Rally". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  32. ^ "Takeaways from the House hearing with Secret Service Director Cheatle on the Trump assassination attempt". CNN. July 22, 2024. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  33. ^ Barber, C. Ryan; Gurman, Sadie (July 22, 2024). "Secret Service Director's Testimony Sparks Bipartisan Calls for Her Resignation". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  34. ^ Chan, Melissa (July 22, 2024). "House committee skewers Secret Service director for not answering major questions on Trump assassination attempt". NBC News. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  35. ^ "Hearing Wrap Up: Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle Fails to Answer Basic Questions and Must Resign Following Historic Security Failures at President Trump's Rally". United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. July 23, 2024.
  36. ^ Barr, Luke; Katersky, Aaron; Reinstein, Julia (July 23, 2024). "Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigns". ABC News. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  37. ^ Aleaziz, Hamed; Kanno-Youngs, Zolan; Kelly, Kate (July 23, 2024). "Secret Service Director Resigns After Trump Assassination Attempt". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 23, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  38. ^ Wild, Whitney; Lybrand, Holmes (August 16, 2024). "Former Secret Service director assigned security detail amid threats after Trump shooting". CNN. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
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