Trump Shooting Attempt: Who is Kimberly Cheatle, US Secret Service Director asked to testify on attack

Soon after an assassination attempt was carried out, the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee on Saturday invited U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to testify on July 22 following the shooting at the rally of former President Donald Trump.

"Americans demand answers about the assassination attempt of President Trump," the panel said in a statement on social media.

Read More: Trump Shooting Attempt: Who is 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, shooter behind attack on former President


Who is Kimberly Cheatle?
Kimberly Cheatle is the 27th Director of the US Secret Service, sworn in to office September 17, 2022. Responsible for successfully executing the agency’s integrated mission of protection and investigations, she leads a workforce composed of more than 7,800 Special Agents, Uniformed Division Officers, Technical Law Enforcement Officers, and Administrative, Professional, and Technical personnel.

Prior to her appointment as the director of the agency, Cheatle served as Senior Director in Global Security at PepsiCo, where she was responsible for directing and implementing security protocols for the company's facilities in North America. Her role at PepsiCo involved developing risk management assessment and risk mitigation strategies.

Additionally, before joining PepsiCo, she served with distinction for 27 years in the U.S. Secret Service, most recently as Assistant Director of the Office of Protective Operations. "In this position, Ms. Cheatle managed a $133.5M budget and collaborated with ten operational divisions and the Technical Security Division to research, develop and deploy technologies that reduce risks to protectees, protected facilities, and protected events," the agency's website said.

Read More: Donald Trump shooting video: US Secret Service in focus over security lapse after video goes viral

Prior to serving as Assistant Director, Ms. Cheatle served as the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office, providing oversight for all mission related investigations, protective intelligence and protective visits in the state of Georgia.

Ms. Cheatle was appointed to the Senior Executive Service (SES) in February 2016 as the Special Agent in Charge of the James J. Rowley Training Center (RTC). There she directed and coordinated all aspects of training and career development for the organization, later serving as the Deputy Assistant Director for the Office of Training.

Who attacked Trump?
The suspect who was gunned down by security forces at former President Donald Trump's Pennsylvania rally shooting on Sunday has been identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said in an official statement. As per voter records, the shooter was a registered Republican.

(with agency inputs)