Biden-appointed Secret Service director won't step down after Trump shooting

DEI and ensuring that women make up at least 30% of the department may be among the U.S. Secret Service's top priorities, but its core function is still ostensibly to "ensure the safety and security of [its] protectees, key locations, and events of national significance."

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, 53, acknowledged in an interview Monday that her agency failed to execute this core function at the Trump rally over the weekend — where the former president was grazed by one of a hail of bullets and a beloved father of two was slain in the stands.

While Cheatle admitted failure and told ABC News that the "buck stops with me," the director revealed that her ownership of fault effectively means nothing.

Sources close to the Biden family recently told the New York Post that Cheatle, who previously served in the Secret Service for 27 years, then briefly ran global security for PepsiCo., secured the favor of Jill Biden and her advisers, including Anthony Bernal.

"Cheatle served on Dr. Biden's second lady detail and Anthony pushed for her," a Democratic insider told the Post. "Anthony has no national security or law enforcement experience. He should have no influence over the selection of the USSS director."

Another insider said, "I heard at the time [Cheatle] was being considered for director that Anthony had pushed her forward as an option."

"Anthony is obsessed with being DEI-compliant," a third source told the Post.

President Joe Biden appointed Cheatle to lead the agency in 2022.

'What I was seeing was DEI.'

Biden said at the time, "She is a distinguished law enforcement professional with exceptional leadership skills and was easily the best choice to lead the agency at a critical moment for the Secret Service. She has my complete trust, and I look forward to working with her."

It appears that Biden's confidence was again misplaced.

"It was a total security breakdown from start to finish," former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker told the Post. "From the total security plan for the rally to the reaction once the shots rang out."

"What I was seeing was DEI," continued Swecker. "The women I saw up there with the president — they looked like they were running in circles. One didn’t know how to holster, the other one didn’t seem to know what to do, and another one seemed not to be able to find her holster. DEI is one thing. Competence and effectiveness is another, and I saw DEI out there."

"It was obviously a situation that, as a Secret Service agent, no one ever wants to occur in their career," Cheatle told ABC News.

When asked who bore most responsibility for the security failure, Cheatle said, "What I would say is the Secret Service is responsible for the protection of the former president."

"The buck stops with me," continued Cheatle. "I am the director of the Secret Service, and I need to make sure that we are performing a review and that we are giving resources to our personnel as necessary."

"It was unacceptable, and it's something that shouldn't happen again," added Cheatle.

Despite admitting responsibility for this "unacceptable" failure, Cheatle said she does "plan to stay on" in her role.

Various lawmakers and officials have called on Cheatle to step down.

'There was a complete breakdown of communication all the way down the line.'

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), for instance, refrained from criticizing the agents on the ground who threw themselves on President Donald Trump when the bullets started flying but insisted that the "head of the Secret Service should resign over this."

Cruz also latched on to Cheatle's characterization of Trump simply as a "former president," noting Trump is "the first in modern history to run for president again, and he has been the focus of several prosecutions and controversies — understatement intentional."

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told cable news, "There was a complete breakdown of communication all the way down the line, and so that starts at the top. The head of the Secret Service needs to go. That's obvious. But I doubt that will happen."

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) introduced the Secret Service Accountability Act Monday to hold Cheatle accountable "for the agency's incompetence and failure to protect President Trump during the Butler, Pennsylvania, campaign rally."

"Saturday's assassination attempt on President Trump's life was either intentional or the result of gross incompetence by the United States Secret Service," Boebert said in a statement. "Under Director Cheatle's failed leadership, the United States Secret Service has prioritized woke DEI policies over the core responsibilities of the Secret Service, including protecting our nation's leaders. This lack of leadership contributed to the first assassination attempt of a President in 43 years. Director Cheatle has got to go!"

The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability has asked Cheatle to provide information related to the incident, including:

• a complete list of all law enforcement personnel with roles in protecting Trump at the rally;
• all audio and video recordings in the possession of the Secret Service related to the rally;
• all memos and or notices issued by Cheatle to Secret Service personnel regarding the assassination attempt; and
• other intel and correspondences related to the rally and assassination attempt.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters days after Trump was shot on Cheatle's watch that he has "100% confidence in the director of the United States Secret Service."

Cheatle has in turn expressed her confidence in the security plan for the Secret Service at the Republican National Convention.

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