According to NBC News, United States Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle has resigned in the wake of a disastrous congressional hearing. While testifying on the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, Cheatle remained defiant, pledging to stay on. Something changed overnight. 

BREAKING: @JuliaEAinsley reports
Two law enforcement sources tell NBC News Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has resigned. And an official announcement is coming later this morning

— Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) July 23, 2024

My understanding from a secret service agent is Director Cheatle has internally announced her resignation.

She has not been transparent with the American people about the failings surrounding her leadership.

It was past time for her to go.

— Rep. Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) July 23, 2024

During the hearing, the now-former director was lambasted for her aloofness regarding the deadly incident in which a bullet grazed Trump's ear, sending him diving to the ground, and killed a Pennsylvania man named Corey Comperatore. She refused to provide any meaningful details of what occurred and instead pledged a report within 60 days, a timeline that even some Democrats (including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) found unacceptable. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) also lit into Cheatle, essentially demanding she resign.

Another aspect at play here is Joe Biden's decision to step down as the Democratic Party presidential nominee. Clearly, the last thing Kamala Harris needed was the liability of this scandal hanging over her. Even though the technical aspects of this failure don't go away and will be investigated further, Cheatle's resignation clears the deck a bit politically and allows the administration to claim accountability was served. 

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