Ronald L. Rowe, the Deputy Director of the US Secret Service, has been elevated to the top post within the organisation, hours after Kimberly Cheatle stepped down on Tuesday as the boss of the Secret Service.
Cheatle quit following protests and calls for her resignation after the Secret Service failed to stop an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on July 13.
Rowe was appointed as the Secret Service head by Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas.
“I have appointed United States Secret Service Deputy Director Ronald L. Rowe, Jr. to serve as Acting Director of the Secret Service,” an official statement from Mayorkas read.
Rowe has been serving as the Deputy Director of Secret Service since April 2023. He is a 24-year veteran of the Secret Service, and has previously served as the agency’s Assistant Director for the Office of Intergovernmental and Legislative Affairs, Deputy Assistant Director for the Office of Protective Operations, and in other leadership positions.
My statement on the appointment of Ronald L. Rowe, Jr. as Acting Secret Service Director ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/qlvES7N4P7
— Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (@SecMayorkas) July 23, 2024
“I appreciate his willingness to lead the Secret Service at this incredibly challenging moment, as the agency works to get to the bottom of exactly what happened on July 13 and cooperate with ongoing investigations and Congressional oversight. At the same time, the Secret Service must effectively carry on its expansive mission that includes providing 24/7 protection for national leaders and visiting dignitaries and securing events of national significance in this dynamic and heightened threat environment,” the Homeland Security Secretary said.
“The Secret Service is the greatest protective service in the world, with one of the most difficult and solemn missions in government. I have the utmost confidence in Deputy Director Rowe and the men and women of the Secret Service, who put their lives on the line every day and deserve our full support,” he added.
Cheatle quit just a day after she was grilled by a bipartisan committee following the security lapses at Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania. While she took the blame for the incident, Cheatle has refused to quit. However, she changed her mind just hours later.
“I am grateful to Kimberly Cheatle for her leadership as the Director of the United States Secret Service and for her lifelong devotion to our country,” Mayorkas said.
“Director Cheatle has dedicated her career to public service. She has served in the Secret Service for more than 29 years, rising through the ranks because of her talent, hard work, selfless dedication to mission, and integrity. Daily, she risked her life to protect others, serving on the frontlines and securing events for every president since President Clinton. She supervised protection for Vice President Cheney, led the Secret Service’s training center, supervised the protection of Vice President Biden, oversaw the agency’s entire protective mission during the administration of President Trump, and more.
“Reflecting her devotion to country above all else, Director Cheatle returned from retirement to lead the agency and its noble mission that she loves and to which she has devoted her career. Over the past two years, she has led the Secret Service with skill, honor, integrity, and tireless dedication. She is deeply respected by the men and women of the agency and by her fellow leaders in the Department of Homeland Security. I am proud to have worked with Director Cheatle and we are all grateful for her service.
“The men and women of the United States Secret Service risk their lives every day to protect others. They make the Secret Service the finest protective agency in the world,” he added.
