Donald Trump has defended a “courageous” female Secret Service agent who “protected” him during his attempted assassination after she was attacked by online trolls.
The former president praised the female agent, saying she was willing to “take a bullet” when she came under fire after critics suggested women were unfit for such roles.
Trump survived the attempt on his life at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania and was quickly removed from the stage by the Secret Service.
However, many right-wing commentators seized on the failures leading up to the incident and raised concerns about the physicality and professionalism of women in such situations.
“There was no one slow, no woman to my right, no beautiful person,” Trump told the crowd at a rally in St. Cloud, Minnesota on Saturday.
‘She protected me with everything she could and was criticized by fake news for not being tall enough.
‘She was so brave, she protected me with everything she could think of, she would have loved to take a bullet.’
The Republican candidate decided to respond after criticism from experts, lawmakers and top donors.
“There should be no women in the Secret Service,” Daily Wire host Matt Walsh wrote on X.
“These should be the very best, and none of the very best in this job are women.”
“A small person as a body covering for a big man is like wearing a small Speedo at the beach – it doesn’t do the job,” said X owner Elon Musk. “It can be a man or a woman, to be clear, it just has to be big enough to get the job done.”
Donald Trump has defended a ‘courageous’ female Secret Service agent who ‘protected’ him during his attempted assassination after she was attacked by online trolls
The former president praised the female officer and said she would “take a bullet” after critics suggested women were not qualified for such positions
Right-wing commentators seized on the failures leading up to the moment to raise concerns about the physicality and professionalism of women in active shooter situations.
Edited videos, viewed millions of times online, showing a female Secret Service agent struggling to put away her weapon only serve to amplify the comments.
Sexist comments were also made about former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, with many claiming she was hired solely to meet diversity, equity and inclusion goals.
Cheatle resigned following the widespread security breaches that allowed gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks to open fire at the July 13 rally, despite having been identified as a suspect in the hours before.
“DEI results in DIE,” Rep. Cory Mills said Fox news“We have to understand that this is about meritocracy. This is not about a quota.”
The Secret Service is approximately 25 percent female and employs approximately 2,000 women.
Former agent Melanie Burkholder told NewsNation that all candidates are subjected to the same rigorous testing.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi also responded negatively to the sexist analysis.
Trump made the comments during a rally in St Cloud, Minnesota on Saturday
This 2021 photo provided by Bethel Park School District shows shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks
Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle was the target of unfounded sexist speculation that she was hired solely to meet diversity goals
“It is an insult to the women of our agency to suggest that they are unqualified based on gender. Such unsubstantiated claims undermine the professionalism, dedication and expertise of our workforce,” a statement read. CNN.
‘Our commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion ensures we attract the best talent and build a robust and effective team that reflects the society we serve.
“We stand united against any attempt to discredit our staff and their invaluable contributions to our mission. We are appalled by the derogatory and disgusting comments made about our staff.”