BUTLER, Penn. – Former President Trump came to the aid of a female Secret Service agent who “protected” him during an assassination attempt, as she faced intense online backlash.
“I don’t know how they weren’t hit,” Trump remarked to thousands at a rally in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on Saturday, recalling the moment when “bullets were flying” and his security team acted quickly to protect him.
“Every single one of them – they were all quick. A woman on my right was shielding me,” he added. “A truly beautiful person – she did everything she could to protect me. And yet, she was crushed and criticized by the fake news for not being tall enough.”
Trump praised the unnamed female agent as “extremely brave” who was “willing to take a bullet” for the former president.
“She simply wasn’t tall enough. I’m tall, and she was not. Despite her bravery in shielding me, she was unjustly criticized because of her height,” he stated. “Incredible.”
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Trump speaks at a rally at Herb Brooks National Hockey Center on July 27, 2024, in St. Cloud, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
After the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, the female agent received criticism from both online commentators and Trump supporters.
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“Watch these female agents who have no idea what they are doing,” conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza tweeted following the incident. “The Secret Service aims to increase the number of female recruits to meet a 30% goal. This is DEI!”
Trump is surrounded by Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
A female Secret Service agent is seen protecting Trump following the assassination attempt at the Butler County Fair Grounds on July 13. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Podcaster Matt Walsh stated that there “shouldn’t be any women” in the Secret Service post-assassination attempt.
“No women should be part of the Secret Service. These roles demand the best skills, and there aren’t women who meet that standard,” Walsh tweeted the day after the incident. “If a woman holds such a position, it necessarily means a more qualified male was overlooked.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk suggested that Secret Service agents must be “sized adequately” to protect their subjects.
“Employing a small individual as a shield for a larger man is akin to wearing an undersized Speedo at the beach – it doesn’t cover the subject,” Musk tweeted after the incident. “It could be a man or a woman, but they must be large enough to fulfill the responsibility.”
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee at the Capitol on July 22, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The Secret Service is under increased scrutiny due to security failures that permitted Thomas Matthew Crooks to open fire at the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Kimberly Cheatle, who had been serving as Secret Service director since August 2022, resigned following bipartisan demands for her immediate resignation after her agency allowed Crooks to approach within 135 meters (157 yards) of the former president.
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“I assume complete responsibility for the breach in security,” she stated in her resignation letter. “Given the recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have decided to step down as your director.”
In light of the attempted assassination, the House Homeland Security Committee has initiated a comprehensive investigation and issued subpoenas regarding the incident.
