Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) wants U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to immediately resign in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, making him the first Congressional Democrat to go public with the call.
Boyle, who represents a suburban Philadelphia district, took to X – formerly known as Twitter – to air his grievances on Saturday.
“I am calling on Director Cheatle to resign immediately following last weekend’s shooting of a Presidential candidate in Western Pennsylvania,” his statement declared.
“The evidence coming to light has shown unacceptable operational failures. I have no confidence in the leadership of the United States Secret Service if Director Cheatle chooses to remain in her position.”
The Pennsylvania congressman’s statement came within hours of reports the Secret Service had “repeatedly denied requests” from the former president’s security detail for “additional resources and personnel,” as Breitbart News reported.
The Washington Examiner notes Boyle joins several elected Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who have called for Cheatle’s resignation.
Others like Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) have challenged Cheatle’s judgement and ability to discharge her duties.
Earlier in the week she said she is not going anywhere.
Cheatle, who previously worked as the senior director in Global Security for PepsiCo, is scheduled to appear at a congressional hearing on Monday to answer questions about the shooting.