US Secret Service director resigns after Trump assassination attempt

US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has resigned following intense pressure from lawmakers after a failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

In her resignation letter, Cheatle cited the "intense scrutiny" and increasing operational demands as key factors in her decision, Caliber.Az reports citing the foreign media.

She expressed full responsibility for the security lapse and stated, "In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your Director." Cheatle, who has led the agency since September 2022, did not specify her last day in office.

In a statement, President Joe Biden expressed gratitude for Kimberly Cheatle's service and announced plans to appoint her successor "soon." Following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, Biden ordered an independent review to assess the incident and indicated he eagerly awaits its findings. "We all know what happened that day can never happen again," Biden said.

Trump, 78, was holding a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania - a key state in the November 5 election - when shots rang out, hitting his right ear and leaving his face streaked with blood. His campaign said he was doing well.

Trump, responding on Truth Social, claimed, "The Biden/Harris Administration did not properly protect me, and I was forced to take a bullet for Democracy. It was my great honour to do so!"

Following a Senate briefing on the assassination attempt, two sources familiar with the situation revealed that the window of time between spotting Crooks on the rooftop and the shooting was 62 minutes. Secret Service agents had identified Crooks on the rooftop 10 minutes before Trump took the stage, with 20 minutes elapsing before he began firing.

Trump reported being shot in the upper part of his right ear. The shooting resulted in the death of former fire official Corey Comperatore, while two others were injured and hospitalized; their conditions have since improved.