--- title: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Pierson Resignation: It's Always the Woman description: 'If someone resigns, it's always the woman' canonical: https://time.com/3453896/sen-gillibrand-speaks-out-on-secret-service-director/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-10-01T23:40:21.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:07:35.624Z article:section: Politics og:title: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Pierson Resignation: It's Always the Woman og:description: 'If someone resigns, it's always the woman' og:url: https://time.com/3453896/sen-gillibrand-speaks-out-on-secret-service-director/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb8ba5ee431d1b989/6986a677adae44594454546a/kirsten-gillibrand-nancy-gibbs3.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Kirsten Gillibrand and Nancy Gibbs speak at the TIME and Real Simple's Women & Success event at the Park Hyatt on Oct. 1, 2014 in New York City. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Pierson Resignation: It's Always the Woman twitter:description: 'If someone resigns, it's always the woman' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb8ba5ee431d1b989/6986a677adae44594454546a/kirsten-gillibrand-nancy-gibbs3.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Sen. Gillibrand Speaks Out on Secret Service Director by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Oct 1, 2014 11:40 PM UTC  Kirsten Gillibrand and Nancy Gibbs speak at the TIME and Real Simple's Women & Success event at the Park Hyatt on Oct. 1, 2014 in New York City. Kirsten Gillibrand and Nancy Gibbs speak at the TIME and Real Simple's Women & Success event at the Park Hyatt on Oct. 1, 2014 in New York City.Larry Busacca—Getty Images for Time Inc. by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Oct 1, 2014 11:40 PM UTC Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said she wasn’t surprised by the resignation of Julia Pierson, the first woman to head the Secret Service, who stepped down Wednesday after the public learned of a number of potential threats that slipped past the President’s security detail. “Obviously there was a massive failure that needed to be taken responsibility for,” Gillibrand said Wednesday during an interview with TIME managing editor Nancy Gibbs at the _Women and Success_ event hosted by TIME and Real Simple. “But I do find that women are often eager to take responsibility for things… inevitably, if someone resigns, it’s always the woman.” The junior Senator from New York has been speaking candidly about issues women face in the workplace and beyond since the release of her book, [_Off the Sidelines_](http://offthesidelines.org/)_._ “I think for a lot of us, we feel deeply responsible for how our teams are run, how our businesses are run,” Gillibrand said. _Additional reporting by Eliana Dockterman and Charlotte Alter._ ### PHOTOS: Go Behind the Scenes with Joe Clancy, the New Director of the Secret Service  Clancy, left, crosses Pennsylvania Avenue with President Barack Obama, and Obama's aide Reggie Love, rear, while walking back to the White House in Washington D.C., on March 1, 2010. Charles Dharapak—AP  Clancy holds the door for Barack Obama as the President departs Andrews Air Force Base in Md. on Feb. 12, 2009. Brooks Kraft—Corbis  President Barack Obama greets supporters at the Fort Meyers airport in Florida, as Clancy stands watch behind the President's left shoulder, Feb. 10, 2009. Brooks Kraft—Corbis  Blink and you might miss him, but here's Clancy again, flanking President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as they wave to crowds along the inaugural parade route in Washington D.C. on Jan. 20, 2009. Charles Dharapak—AP  Clancy is seen speaking over the radio into his palm mic as he glances in the camera's direction as President Barack Obama and his family walk back to the White House after attending St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington D.C. on Oct. 11, 2009. Susan Walsh—AP  Clancy braves the rain as umbrella-carrying President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron walk from Marine One in Toronto, after their flight from the G8 Summit to the G20 Summit on June 26, 2010. Jason Reed—Reuters  Clancy blends in on stage as Obama speaks at the Arizona State University commencement ceremony at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. on May 13, 2009. Brooks Kraft—Corbis  Solar panels make good camouflage as Clancy and another Secret Service agent accompany the President and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, on May 27, 2009. Brooks Kraft—Corbis  President Barack Obama jogs up the steps to speak at a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee and Sen. Barbara Boxer, with Clancy watching closely from the wings, at the California Science Center in Los Angeles, April 19, 2010. Alex Brandon—AP  Eyeing those extended arms warily, Clancy keeps hold on President Barack Obama as he shakes hands with people outside of the Top Pot Doughnuts shop in Seattle on Oct. 21, 2010. Jim Watson—AFP/Getty Images  Clancy in the foreground, as Obama is reflected in a garage window in a backyard at the Weithman family home on Aug 18, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. Mike Munden—Getty Images  Clancy scans the crowd seated just behind Obama and former President Bill Clinton as the two talk at a memorial service for Sen. Robert Byrd on July 2, 2010, at the Capitol in Charleston, WV. Charles Dharapak—AP  President Barack Obama holds hands with daughter Sasha as they walk away from Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington D.C. after arriving home from their vacation in Hawaii, with Clancy facing outward nearby, on Jan. 4, 2010. Lawrence Jackson—The White House  With hands folded, Clancy watches the press watching President Barack Obama wave as he arrives at the White House in Washington D.C. on Oct. 15, 2010. Nicholas Kamm—AFP/Getty Images  President Barack Obama meets with NCTC Director Michael Leiter, center right, leadership and analysts in the Secure Video Teleconference Room at the National Counterterrorism Center in McLean, Va, on Oct. 6, 2009. Samantha Appleton—The White House  National Security Advisor General James Jones, left, and Clancy coordinate arrival details by telephone for President Barack Obama's visit to Baghdad on April 7, 2009. Pete Souza—The White House  A flood of bright lights fall on Clancy and other agents as the President waves to press watching the arrival of Air Force One in Springfield, Ill. on Feb. 12, 2009. Brooks Kraft—Corbis  Clancy has President Barack Obama's back during a frenzied meet-and-greet with the audience after speaking about health care reform at the Patriot Center at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. on March 19, 2010. Charles Dharapak—AP  Clancy stands watch as the President boards Air Force One at Buckley Air Force Base in Denver, Colo., en route to Las Vegas, Nev. on Feb. 18, 2010. Pete Souza—The White House ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3453896/sen-gillibrand-speaks-out-on-secret-service-director/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3453896/sen-gillibrand-speaks-out-on-secret-service-director/"},"headline":"Sen. 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