Attack on Trump: Secret Service director says she will remain in office despite acknowledging the security breach was her responsibility

The director of the U.S. Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, faces intense pressure to resign after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and although she admitted that responsibility for what happened lies with her, she ruled out the possibility of resigning.

This Monday, Cheatle gave an exclusive interview with ABC News, in which she addressed reports that claim officers had seen the shooter before the attack occurred last Saturday, as well as the growing wave of criticism for her handling of the incident.

"Seeking that person out, finding them, identifying them, and eventually neutralizing them took place in a very short period of time, and it makes it very difficult," the Secret Service director said in justifying the failed operation that left the shooter with a direct line of sight to Trump. "It was obviously a situation that, as a Secret Service agent, no one wants to have happen in their career," she added.

During the interview, Cheatle called the assassination attempt "unacceptable" and admitted that "the buck stops" with her. However, everything indicates that, at least for her, the mistake that ended the life of a member of the audience and that nearly ended the life of the former president, are not grounds to resign.

Criticism of Cheatle

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado, introduced the Secret Service Accountability Act, demanding Cheatle's dismissal for what she called "the agency’s incompetence and failure" to protect Trump. "Saturday’s assassination attempt on President Trump’s life was either intentional or the result of gross incompetence by the United States Secret Service," Boebert said in a statement.

Separately, Nicole Parker, a former FBI special agent and Fox News contributor, also sharply criticized Cheatle for her handling of the attack. "Where was she, or where was any representative from the United States Secret Service? The initial press conference… that is their site. They should have had a representative there," Parker said. He further noted that Cheatle took too long to speak out after the attack. "If it is not important enough for her to show her face in light of a… potential assassination. If there is a time for her to come forward, it is now, and it's just radio silence. It's unacceptable," she added.

Meanwhile, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Kentucky, subpoenaed Cheatle to testify about the shooting. In a letter, Comer reported that his committee has launched an investigation into the assassination attempt and requested her "voluntary" appearance.

The mounting pressure on Cheatle reflects a climate of uncertainty and demand for answers about security at presidential events, while she remains steadfast in her decision not to resign.