Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle announced on Tuesday that she was resigning her post after failing to stop an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump — and Trump responded in the immediate aftermath of her decision.
Cheatle’s resignation came just 24 hours after lawmakers on both sides of the aisle grilled her for the series of security failures that led to Trump’s would-be assassin attaining access to an elevated position with a clear line of sight to the stage. In addition to wounding Trump, he killed firefighter Corey Comperatore and gravely injured two others.
Fox News reporter Brooke Singman shared a statement from the former president, who was shot in the ear at his July 13 campaign rally, shortly after Cheatle’s resignation was made public.
“EXCLUSIVE: I spoke to @realDonaldTrump on the resignation of #SecretService Director Cheatle. He tells me ‘she never gave me proper protection, so I ended up having to take a bullet for democracy,'” Singman posted.
EXCLUSIVE: I spoke to @realDonaldTrump on the resignation of #SecretService Director Cheatle.
He tells me “she never gave me proper protection, so I ended up having to take a bullet for democracy.” 1/3— Brooke Singman (@BrookeSingman) July 23, 2024
“Trump tells me that ‘Many requests were made by on-site secret service for more people, always with a turn down or no response,'” Singman continued, adding, “Trump tells me: ‘I have the biggest crowds in history, and they should be treated accordingly.’ Trump, though, told me: ‘Big improvements have been made over the last week.'”
Trump tells me: “I have the biggest crowds in history, and they should be treated accordingly.”
Trump, though, told me: “Big improvements have been made over the last week.”
3/3#SecretService #Trump— Brooke Singman (@BrookeSingman) July 23, 2024
Immediately after the assassination attempt, Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL) asserted that requests from the Trump camp for more security had been rebuffed or ignored — and Secret Service Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi flatly denied the veracity of such claims.
However, within days, additional reports indicated that Trump had, in fact, been denied additional security for large events, as Waltz had said.