Next Monday, Secret Service Chief Kimberly Cheatle will face a House hearing following her failure to prevent a sniper from shooting at former President Donald Trump. House Speaker Mike Johnson highlighted the gravity of the situation, stating on Fox News radio, “Cheatle has a lot to answer for.”
Kimberly Cheatle, a seasoned professional with 27 years in the Secret Service, retired in 2019 under President Trump’s administration. After her retirement, she took on the role of head of security for PepsiCo North America, where she served for 14 months. President Biden reinstated Cheatle as the head of the Secret Service in August 2022. Biden expressed his confidence in her through a White House statement, saying:
“Jill and I know firsthand Kim’s commitment to her job … When Kim served on my security detail when I was Vice President, we came to trust her judgement and counsel. She is a distinguished law enforcement professional with exceptional leadership skills, and was easily the best choice to lead the agency at a critical moment for the Secret Service. She has my complete trust, and I look forward to working with her.”
The statement also detailed Cheatle’s career achievements, noting her previous role as Assistant Director of protective operations and her tenure as the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office. Cheatle, who graduated with a sociology degree from Eastern Illinois University in 1992, is known for her extensive experience in overseeing mission-related investigations, protective intelligence, and protective visits in Georgia.
The Secret Service, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security, has Alejandro Mayorkas as its immediate superior. Mayorkas, who has faced impeachment, reiterated the importance of presidential candidate security, stating in a tweet after the assassination attempt, “The security of the presidential candidates is one of our … most vital priorities.”
Breitbart News reports that Cheatle has recently been criticized for allegedly prioritizing diversity over merit within the agency. Critics argue that this focus on progressive goals has compromised the agency’s effectiveness. Chris Rufo, a known critic of DEI policies, pointed out in City Journal that the Secret Service’s policies emphasize the recruitment of women and other identity groups over more capable candidates.
Rufo noted, “This is official policy. The Secret Service openly boasts that it ‘prioritizes recruiting women candidates’ and has formulated an ‘affirmative action’ plan to increase the number of women, LGBT, Native Americans, and other identity groups.” He added that Cheatle herself aimed to have 30 percent female recruits by 2030, as she mentioned to CBS News: “I’m very conscious, as I sit in this chair now, of making sure that we need to attract diverse candidates and ensure that we are developing and giving opportunities to everybody in our workforce, and particularly women.”
Of notable discussion is that in 2021, the agency saw more women than men graduate from its special agent training class for the first time. However, Rufo argues that the best candidates in terms of physical strength and marksmanship are typically men, a reality he believes the Secret Service is attempting to circumvent by maintaining separate fitness standards for men and women.
Earlier this month, Cheatle dismissed specific threats, telling ABC News, “There’s nothing specific and nothing credible out there right now.” The House hearing will scrutinize Cheatle’s leadership and decisions, particularly in light of the recent security breach involving former President Trump.