Kim Cheatle, the director of the Secret Service, may have his job in greater danger than ever after an explosive hearing before the House Oversight Committee.
Rep. Nancy Mace, of South Carolina, announced on Monday that she filed a motion of impeachment against the director who was under fire. This announcement came hours after the House committee hearing.
Just filed a privileged motion to impeach Kim Cheatle, Director of the Secret Service. This will force a vote within the next 48 hours.
— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) July 23, 2024
Politicians from all sides have expressed anger at the Secret Service for failing to protect Donald Trump, the former president, during a rally held in Butler, Pennsylvania. Even progressive Democrats such as Ro Khanna were very tough when grilling the Secret Service chief.
KHANNA: Director Cheatle — would you agree this is the worst security breach since President Reagan’s assassination in 1981?
CHEATLE: I would, yes, sir.
KHANNA: Do you know…what Stuart Knight did after he became the head of the Secret Service?
CHEATLE: He was still on duty.
KHANNA: Khanna resigned. He resigned. Stuart Knight wasn’t a Republican or Democrat appointee. I don’t doubt your judgment — I simply do not think that this is partisan. You should resign if you are involved in the assassination of a president, former president or candidate. Stuart Knight resigned. He was appointed by the Republican Party and took full responsibility. You need to think about it. It’s not about you, it’s about the American people. You can’t be the head of a Secret Service when an assassination is attempted on a candidate for president.
Andy Biggs, a representative from Arizona, also asked for more answers following the hearing. He was frustrated by Cheatle’s lack of answers.
Biggs wrote to Cheatle after the hearing: “It’s unfathomable how an assassin could gain access and shoot at President Trump in an insecure building that had a direct view of the rally stage.” It is also unfathomable to think that the U.S. Secret Service identified the building’s vulnerability, but failed to incorporate it into the perimeter security or ensure its safety.
Director Cheatle sat in front of our committee for hours and provided no substantive answers for her agency’s failures.
This is unacceptable coming from the head of the Secret Service.
Following today’s @GOPOversight hearing, I wrote to her demanding additional information. https://t.co/kajzjBiHZb pic.twitter.com/fNEQnrKHbC
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) July 22, 2024
Cheatle’s grip on her job seems to be eroding. Although President Joe Biden expressed his continued support for Cheatle’s job, his party has become increasingly hostile towards the idea that she has one.
