Jul 23, 2024 - Politics & Policy

Trump says Secret Service chief's resignation was "inevitable"

Rebecca Falconer

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Van Andel Arena on July 20, 2024 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. — Republican presidential nominee former President Trump during a July 20 campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Former President Trump said Tuesday he didn't think Kimberly Cheatle "had much of a choice" but to resign from her role as U.S. Secret Service director following the aftermath of the assassination attempt on him.

The big picture: Cheatle resigned Tuesday following mounting bipartisan criticism and calls to step down after this month's Trump rally shooting that she described as the "most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades."

What he's saying: "This was a bad day for this country, and certainly they should have had people on that rooftop, and they should have told me that there was a problem," Trump told Newsmax.

"I guess maybe they didn't know or something. They haven't gotten to the bottom of that yet," said Trump, who confirmed to the network that his security had since been "beefed" up.
Trump said Cheatle's resignation "should have happened, I would say, within an hour — not nine days, 10 days. That would seem to be inevitable."

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Trump says Secret Service chief's resignation was "inevitable"

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