Female Secret Service Agent Subjected to Brutal Body-Shaming After Trump's Assassination Attempt

Donald Trump's assassination attempt left Americans in utter shock. After the lone gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks fired shots at the ex-president, Secret Service agents rushed to the stage engulfing him with their bodies. Fortunately, Trump survived with a minor graze but the agents were dragged for their incompetence, more specifically female officers were body-shamed. 

Radio host, @GerryCallahan, on X (formerly Twitter), criticized, "Some badass White male Marine or Army Ranger was passed over for Melissa McCarthy." The tweet amassed 2.3 million views, with many echoing the sentiment. A user, @Chet_Cannon, blamed DEI hires. They penned, "So we're just supposed to believe that the 5'5", objectively unfit, obese woman beat out all able-bodied men for Trump's Secret Service detail?" 

@MomAngtrades agreed, "I'm so sick of DEI hires. Why is this woman [in the] Secret Service? As a woman, we don't need women in Secret Service. And especially ones that look like they can't even run the mile in less than 15 minutes." @wut_intarnation quipped, "I swear to God this looks like the lady I buy bread from. This security detail needs a security detail." @TinaABloomfield chimed, "I'm a female and I wouldn't hire her to be my bodyguard...peak physical health is mandatory." 

Meanwhile, @arghavan_salles, reasoned that people were deviating from the main issue. "Glad to see we've moved on from 'What a hero, he made time for a photo op' to 'Women shouldn't serve in the Secret Service,' proving once again, that misogyny is one of the few things that truly unites us." @LizzyBPemberly also defended, "You're taking your anger out on someone who signed up to save lives. She stood between. That should count for something." 

In the wake of Trump's shooting incident, Right-wing media was hell-bent on holding female officers accountable for the security failure. While some called them bigger in size, others questioned their professionalism. In response, Secret Service spokesman, Anthony Guglielmi, condemned the insults in a statement to CNN. He said, "It is an insult to the women of our agency to imply that they are unqualified based on gender." 

"Such baseless assertions undermine the professionalism, dedication, and expertise of our workforce. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion ensures that we attract the best talent, fostering a robust and effective team that reflects the society we serve," the statement added. Not reassured, netizens demanded the resignation of the Secret Service chief, Kimberly Cheatle. And amid the media scrutiny and intense pressure at the Congress hearing, Cheatle did exactly that. On July 23, 2024, she stepped down from her role. 

James Comer, the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee, said, "While Director Cheatle's resignation is a step toward accountability, we need a full review of how these security failures happened so that we can prevent them going forward. We will continue our oversight of the Secret Service," as per Reuters. Cheatle, who served the agency since 2022, took responsibility for the failed assassination attempt. She admitted that it was the most significant operational failure in the history of the United States after the shooting of President Ronald Reagan in 1981.