WASHINGTON DC – The head of the United States Secret Service is stepping down over the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, after days of mounting pressure and criticism for failing to prevent the shooting. Kimberly Cheatle sent an email to staff on Tuesday announcing her plans to step down, The Associated Press news agency reported. She had been under pressure from US lawmakers to resign as questions continue to swirl around security protocols at Trump’s July 13 rally in Pennsylvania, where the former president and Republican presidential nominee was shot in the ear. “I take full responsibility for the security lapse,” Cheatle said in the email to staff. “In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director.

US President Joe Biden thanked the Secret Service director for her decades of public service and said he planned to appoint her replacement soon. “The independent review to get to the bottom of what happened on July 13 continues, and I look forward to assessing its conclusions. We all know what happened that day can never happen again,” Biden said in a statement.

US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas also said later in the day that he had appointed Ronald L Rowe, the Secret Service’s deputy director, to serve as acting director following’s Cheatle’s resignation. She had been under pressure from US lawmakers to resign as questions continue to swirl around security protocols at Trump’s July 13 rally in Pennsylvania, where the former president and Republican presidential nominee was shot in the ear. “I take full responsibility for the security lapse Cheatle said in the email to staff. “In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director. US President Joe Biden thanked the Secret Service director for her decades of public service and said he planned to appoint her replacement soon. The independent review to get to the bottom of what happened on July 13 continues, and I look forward to assessing its conclusions. We all know what happened that day can never happen again,” Biden said in a statement. US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas also said later in the day that he had appointed Ronald L Rowe, the Secret Service’s deputy director, to serve as acting director following’s Cheatle’s resignation.    (Al jazeera)…[+]