After the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, who was shot at during an outdoor rally in Pennsylvania, the American ultraconservative right found a culprit: the women of the Secret Service charged with protecting the former president. The Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States had to come to their defense this Saturday.
Several women from the Secret Service, which is supposed to protect high-ranking American political figures, rushed to protect the Republican candidate when he was shot in the ear. But these agents, as well as their director Kimberly Cheatle, have since been the victims of misogynistic remarks and the Secret Service’s recruitment policy has been criticized.
“Insulting” statements
“These claims are baseless and insulting,” U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement Saturday. He praised women in law enforcement, calling them “highly skilled and highly trained,” while thanking them for risking “their lives on the front lines for the safety and security of others.”
“They are courageous and selfless patriots who deserve our gratitude and respect.” And Homeland Security will continue “with great pride to recruit women, retain them and advance them through the ranks of our law enforcement,” continued to believe the Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States Alejandro Mayorkas.
“There should be no women”
Opposite, the ultraconservative commentator Matt Walsh had notably estimated on X that there “should be no women in the Secret Service”, affirming that “none of the best in this job are women”. And another extreme right-wing personality, Benny Johnson, had spoken to him of an “absolute humiliation for women in the secret service” in the caption of a video on X.
The Secret Service’s diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI) hiring practices are also under fire, as they have long been criticized by some Republicans who believe they discriminate against white men in particular. The Secret Service has agreed to submit to an independent investigation requested by President Joe Biden, and its director will be questioned on Monday.
For his part, Donald Trump’s close adviser, Chris LaCivita, called “idiots” anyone who would question the fact that women were among the agents who “risked their lives” to protect the former president, according to CNN journalist Kate Sullivan.