Speaker Johnson told Cheatle she needed to ‘take responsibility’ in 1-on-1 meeting
House Speaker Mike Johnson recounted to ABC News on Tuesday what he told then-Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle when they met one-on-one on Monday.
"I made it clear, as I always do to anyone in these positions, 'This is not personal, ma'am,'" Johnson recalled. "'But you're No. 1 responsibility is performance -- and you did not perform. In fact, it was an utter failure, and we almost lost a former president because of it. And accountability begins at the top and you need to take responsibility.'"
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Tuesday that Cheatle’s resignation was "the right thing to do."
"I mean, there were obviously incredible failures at the farm show in Butler. There are many investigations going on, and those investigations need to unearth what those failures were, so that any protectee is ensured the absolute top level of protection going forward. That was a failure in Butler. Thank God the former president was not assassinated," Shapiro said.
-ABC News’ Jay O’Brien and Will McDuffie