Ap
The newspaper La Jornada
Wednesday, July 24, 2024, p. 26
Washington. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned yesterday following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, which sparked widespread outcry over how the agency failed in its core mission of protecting current and former presidents.
Cheatle, who has been the head of the Secret Service since August 2022, faced mounting calls for her resignation and multiple investigations into how the gunman was able to get so close to the Republican presidential candidate at an outdoor campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
When he opened fire on Trump, 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks came within 150 yards of the stage where the former president was speaking, despite a death threat against the tycoon from Iran prompting extra security to be assigned to the former president ahead of the July 13 rally.
A bloodied Trump was escorted off the stage by Secret Service agents, and Secret Service snipers killed the attacker. Trump said the top of his right ear was pierced. One aide died and two others were seriously injured.
