FACT CHECK: Was Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle Arrested?

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

A viral post shared on Facebook claims former U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle was arrested by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID).

Verdict: False

The claim is false and originally stems from a July 23 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.” A spokesperson for the U.S. Army CID denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.

Fact Check:

Cheatle resigned following a recent hearing in which she testified before the House Oversight Committee about a shooting that occurred at 2024 Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump’s July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, according to CNN. Secret Service Deputy Director Ronald Rowe has replaced Cheatle, the outlet reported.

The Facebook post claims Cheatle was arrested. “Kimberly Cheatle Arrested!” the post begins. “U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) agents arrested former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle less than an hour after she resigned amid wrath over her failure to prevent the assassination attempt on President Trump’s life,” it continues. The post does not provide a source to support its claim.

The claim is false and originally stems from a July 23 article published on the satire site “Real Raw News.” A “Disclaimer” included on the site’s “About Us” page indicates its content is not meant to be taken literally. “Information on this website is for informational and educational and entertainment purposes. This website contains humor, parody, and satire. We have included this disclaimer for our protection, on the advice [of] legal counsel,” the disclaimer reads.

The July 23 article claims Cheatle purportedly “imposed restrictive rules of engagement on Trump’s protectorate” ahead of his July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Cheatle supposedly instructed Trump’s protectorate “to fire only if fired upon or if a protectee, like President Trump, was already under attack,” according to the same article.

The U.S. military purportedly learned of Cheatle’s orders via interviews with three Secret Service agents at the rally, the article further claims.

Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. In addition, the claim is neither referenced on the Army CID’s website nor on its associated social media accounts. (RELATED: Viral X Post Makes False Claim About FBI Ballistics Test In Relation To Trump Rally Shooting)

Furthermore, an Army CID spokesperson denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.

“Army CID has not conducted any such actions nor would it exercise any jurisdiction to do so,” the same spokesperson said.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

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