Secret Service director says she will not step down in aftermath of Trump shooting

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on Monday rejected calls to resign over the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally on Saturday afternoon.

The former president was wounded in the right ear during the shooting, which resulted in the death of one attendee and the suspected shooter. Two other civilians in the audience were critically wounded.  

The Secret Service has felt the heat from government officials and lawmakers over its failure to prevent the shooting, even after audience members reported that a person was on the roof of a building nearby. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas called the incident a "failure" by the Secret Service, but said he has "100 percent" confidence in the agency.

“I appreciate the secretary’s comments. And we are going to continue to be transparent and communicate with people,” Cheatle said, according to The Hill.

She told ABC News' Pierre Thomas that she will stay on as the director and will oversee the investigation. 

“The buck stops with me,” she continued. “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.”

President Joe Biden ordered an independent investigation into the shooting, which is being investigated as an assassination attempt, and Republican lawmakers in the House said they will also be investigating the incident. Cheatle said her agency will "participate fully" with both investigations, including any oversight changes outlined by Congress.

Cheatle is expected to testify in front of the House in a hearing next week.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.