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Kimberly Cheatle

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Kimberly Cheatle
Director of the United States Secret Service
Assumed office
September 17, 2022
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byJames M. Murray
Personal details
Born
Kimberly A. Cheatle

1970/1971 (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 law enforcement officer who has served as the 27th director of the United States Secret Service since September 2022.[2] She previously held multiple roles in the United States Secret Service over twenty-seven years. Prior to her secret service appointment, she worked for PepsiCo.

She was in charge of the Secret Service during the attempted assassination of Donald Trump,[3] which brought her into the national spotlight where she faced widespread criticism and calls to resign.[4]

Early life

Cheatle was born in Hinsdale, Illinois, and grew up in Danville, Illinois.[5] She graduated from Eastern Illinois University where she majored in sociology with a concentration in criminal justice.[6]

Career

Cheatle joined the United States Secret Service in 1995.[7] 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.[8] In 2017 and 2018, she served as deputy assistant director. She served as special-agent-in-charge in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, office. She became 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.[9]

From 2019 to 2022, Cheatle served as senior director of global security at PepsiCo.[10][11]

In 2021, President Joe Biden awarded Cheatle a Presidential Rank Award for exceptional performance.[12] In August 2022, President Biden announced the appointment of Cheatle as director of the United States Secret Service,[13] and she assumed office on September 17, 2022.[2] 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."[14]

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.[15]

In April 2024, after a female agent on Vice President Kamala Harris's detail attacked her superior officer and other agents, U.S. 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 bipartisan 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

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.[4][24]

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.[25] 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.[26]

On July 22, 2024, Cheatle testified before the United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability about the assassination attempt.[27] 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. However, she pledged not to resign.[28][29][30] Cheatle also acknowledged it had rebuffed requests for additional resources for Trump's security detail in the two years leading up to the assassination attempt. That was a reversal from an earlier statement from the week prior in which an agency spokesman denied that such requests had been turned down.[31]

References

  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. ^ a b "Director Kimberly A. Cheatle". United States Secret Service. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  3. ^ "Statement From U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle". United States Secret Service. July 15, 2024. Archived from the original on July 20, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "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.
  5. ^ "Chicago DNC 2024 will be homecoming for US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who grew up in suburbs, attended EIU | abc7chicago.com". abc7chicago.com. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  6. ^ Hardy, Cam'ron. "From Eastern alum to director of the Secret Service". The Daily Eastern News. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  7. ^ Shein, Maggie (July 1, 2022). "Kimberly Cheatle, Senior Director – Global Security at PepsiCo". Security Magazine.
  8. ^ "Women in Security 2022: Kimberly Cheatle, PepsiCo | Security Magazine". www.securitymagazine.com. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  9. ^ "Biden names new Secret Service director amid Jan. 6 scrutiny". The Washington Post. August 24, 2022.
  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. August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  11. ^ Greene, Shayna (August 24, 2022). "Biden announces new head of Secret Service". POLITICO. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  12. ^ Shear, Michael D. (August 24, 2022). "Biden Names Kim Cheatle to Lead Secret Service". The New York Times.
  13. ^ "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.
  14. ^ Corse, Alexa (August 24, 2022). "Secret Service Veteran Kimberly Cheatle Named as New Director". The Wall Street Journal.
  15. ^ 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.
  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". nytimes.com. 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. ^ 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.
  25. ^ Suter, Tara (July 20, 2024). "Democratic rep calls for Secret Service director to resign after Trump rally shooting". The Hill. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  26. ^ Suter, Tara (July 17, 2024). "McConnell calls for new leadership of Secret Service". The Hill. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  27. ^ "Secret Service chief Kimberly Cheatle faces grilling over Trump shooting". www.bbc.com. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  28. ^ 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.
  29. ^ "Takeaways from the House hearing with Secret Service Director Cheatle on the Trump assassination attempt". CNN. July 22, 2024. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  30. ^ 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.
  31. ^ 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.
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