Secret Service: DEI criticism is ‘disgusting’

The Secret Service is defending its female agents following attacks from conservative pundits and lawmakers who have suggested, without evidence, that the agents are underqualified and were only hired because of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.

The wave of criticism comes after the assassination attempt on former President Trump shocked the nation and sparked questions about how a gunman was able to gain access to a building so close to the former president.

Lawmakers have looked to the director of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, to answer for what’s been called the agency’s biggest security failure since former President Reagan was shot in 1981, and a growing list of Republicans have called for her ouster.

On conservative airwaves and on social media, much of the criticism has focused on Cheatle’s gender, with some calling her a “DEI hire.” Social media users have also taken note that female agents were part of the team that rushed Trump offstage after he was shot.

The Secret Service’s chief of communication, Anthony Guglielmi, called out the “baseless assertions” that agents are unqualified, in a statement to The Hill, saying the federal agency is “appalled by the disparaging and disgusting comments against any of our personnel.”

“As an elite law enforcement agency, all of our agents and officers are highly trained and fully capable of performing our missions,” Guglielmi wrote in the statement. “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.”

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) introduced a bill to prohibit federal funds from being used on Cheatle’s salary or expenses.