Donald Trump has defended a “brave” Secret Service agent who “protected” him during his assassination attempt after she was attacked by online trolls.
The former president praised the female agent, saying she “wanted to take a bullet” under fire after critics suggested women were not qualified for such positions.
Trump managed to survive an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and was quickly removed from the stage by the Secret Service.
But many right-wing commentators seized on the failures so far and expressed concern about the fitness and professionalism of women in such situations.
“There was no one who was slow, a woman who was to my right, a beautiful person,” Trump told the crowd at a rally in St Cloud, Minnesota, on Saturday.
‘She protected me as much as she could and received criticism from the fake news because I wasn’t tall enough.
“She was so brave that she protected me with everything, she wanted to take a bullet.”
The Republican candidate decided to respond after criticism from experts, lawmakers and high-profile donors.
“There should be no women in the Secret Service,” Daily Wire host Matt Walsh wrote on X.
“These are supposed to be the best, and none of the best at this job are women.”
“Having a small person as body protection for a big guy is like wearing a small-sized Speedo at the beach: it doesn’t cover the body,” said Elon Musk, owner of X. “It can be a man or a woman, to be clear, it just needs to be big enough to do the job.”
Donald Trump has defended a “brave” Secret Service agent who “protected” him during his assassination attempt after she was attacked by online trolls.
The former president praised the female officer and said he “wanted to 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 and raised concerns about the fitness and professionalism of women in active shooter situations.
Edited videos, which have racked up millions of views online, showed a Secret Service agent struggling to holster her gun after the incident, only reinforcing the comments.
Sexist comments were also made about former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, with many suggesting she was only hired to meet diversity, equality and inclusion goals.
Cheatle resigned in the wake of massive security breaches that allowed gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks to open fire at the July 13 protest, despite having been identified as a suspect in the hours before.
‘DEI results in DIE,’ said Rep. Cory Mills Fox News“We have to understand that this is a question of meritocracy, not quotas.”
The Secret Service is comprised of approximately 25 percent women and employs about 2,000 women.
Former agent Melanie Burkholder said NewsNation that all candidates are subject to the same rigorous testing.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi also responded to the sexist analysis.
Trump made the comments during a rally in St Cloud, Minnesota, on Saturday.
This 2021 photo provided by the Bethel Park School District shows gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks
Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle was the subject of unfounded sexist speculation that she was only hired to meet diversity goals.
“It is an insult to the women in our agency to imply that they are not qualified based on their gender. Such baseless claims undermine the professionalism, dedication and experience of our workforce,” she said in a statement to CNN.
‘Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion ensures that we attract the best talent, fostering a strong 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 and are appalled by any derogatory and repugnant comments directed at any of our staff.’