Some right-wingers have found a new culprit to blame for the assassination attempt made at former President Donald Trump's rally: DEI and women.
The shooting left one spectator dead and two other attendees critically wounded. Trump himself was not severely injured and wrote on Truth Social that he was grateful to the Secret Service and law enforcement for their rapid response.
"I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear," Trump said. "I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation identified the deceased gunman as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.
Almost immediately, allies of Trump blasted the Secret Service for not preventing the shooting, deeming it an inside job.
But this morning, they latched onto another culprit: the number of female agents in his detail.
"DEI almost had Trump DIE," claimed one right-wing X user, sharing a video of Trump being rushed into an SUV. "I honestly don’t think women should be Secret Service agents. Talk all the trash you want, but I DON’T CARE. One female didn’t know how to holster her weapon and another was more concerned about putting on her sunglasses than protecting the President."
"When we were watching this footage live I shouted 'why are there so many damn women in this detail? They’re running around like chickens with their heads cut off!'" wrote someone else. "And notice the male agents and their focus. This IS NOT A WOMAN’S JOB"
Benny Johnson offered a similar take, dubbing the video of one agent struggling to holster her gun "absolute humiliation for this gaggle of female Secret Service Agents."
"DEI Secret Service make Presidents LESS Safe," he concluded.
Right-wing commentator Dinesh D'Souza similarly criticized the female agents, adding: "The Secret Service has been trying to raise the number of its female recruits to meet a 30% goal. This is DEI!"
D'Souza is referring to Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle, who explained her goal of having 30% female recruits by 2030 to CBS News last year.
"I'm very conscious as I sit in this chair now, of making sure that we need to attract diverse candidates and ensure that we are developing and giving opportunities to everybody in our workforce, and particularly women," Cheatle said.
"Fire her," Ann Coulter wrote, adding a link in a separate post to a Change.org petition. That petition was started in May but received the majority of its signatures within the last 24 hours.
Right-wingers also criticized her previous employment as global head of security at Pepsi, not realizing she'd previously served nearly three decades with the Secret Service.
One Fox News host on Sunday echoed the criticism of Cheatle in an interview with pro-Trump podcaster and former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino.
"Why would the Secret Service not beef up more security for the man who is most likely to be assassinated in the entire world?" she asked. "Why would they not deploy more resources? Why weren't there drones over? Is it that this woman Kimberly Cheatle, the director, is incompetent? Could there be something else there? What is happening? Is it DEI?"
Others argued a security detail with shorter agents was not suitable for Trump, prompting "Trump is 6" to trend on X.
"Trump is 6' 3, and somewhere in the 200 pound range," remarked one person. "What exactly are these 5' 2 agents going to do to protect him? This is a dangerous sh*tshow."
"Best argument against women Secret Service Agents," wrote another user of the image of Trump leaving the stage with the agents. "This woman’s job was to use her body as a shield to protect the President. She might be 5’4” and Trump is 6’2”. President Trump is completely exposed. Secret Service Director #1 priority is DEI."
But not every critic is ready to write off having female Secret Service agents.
"There is no reason we cannot find tall fit women," wrote one person. "Trump is 6"3". Finding anyone at or over 6'3" is difficult but not impossible."
"They need taller women for taller protectees," echoed someone else.
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