Critics are demanding answers from Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle after an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump that left one supporter dead and two others wounded.

Yet despite insisting that "the buck stops" with her, Cheatle is nevertheless refusing to tender her resignation.

"I do plan to stay on"

According to Breitbart, Cheatle's remarks came during an interview on Monday with ABC's "World News Tonight" host Pierre Thomas.

"What I would say is, the Secret Service is responsible for the protection of the former President," she said when Thomas asked who is "most responsible" for what happened this past weekend.

"The buck stops with me, I am the Director of the Secret Service. It was unacceptable, and it's something that shouldn’t happen again," she insisted.

However, when Thomas inquired as to whether or not Cheatle will remain at her job, the Secret Service director was unequivocal, saying, "I do plan to stay on."

Ted Cruz: "The head of the Secret Service should resign over this"

That answer won't go over well with Texas Republican Ted Cruz, who called for Cheatle while speaking on his podcast "The Verdict."

Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle should resign immediately.https://t.co/3m7TNC3BVY pic.twitter.com/JzuexIembf

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 15, 2024

"The criticism is not of those individual agents who did everything they could, but it is of the leadership of Secret Service and it is ultimately of the political leadership. It is Alejandro Mayorkas, who is completely AWOL on this," Cruz declared.

He went on to assert that "the head of the Secret Service should resign over this" while asking Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durban to have her testify on Capitol Hill.

Secret Service denies claim that resources were diverted from Trump to first lady

The New York Post reported on Monday that Cheatle was made Secret Service director in 2022 following a push from First Lady Jill Biden's office.

Meanwhile, Newsweek noted that the Secret Service has denied allegations it had diverted resources away from Trump to protect an event hosted by First Lady Jill Biden.

That claim was put forward in a social media post on Sunday by Real Clear Politics contributor Susan Crabtree who cited sources within the law enforcement agency.

"Secret Services resources were diverted to Jill Biden's event and away from Trump's because they followed agency protocol applying to Trump as a former president, according to two sources within the Secret Service community," she wrote.