Former President Donald Trump was flanked by a large group of male Secret Service agents as he arrived at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, a stark difference from the security team that protected the former president during the assassination attempt.
When Trump appeared on the opening night of the Republican National Convention on Monday, he was seen surrounded by a tight group of about a dozen burly male agents.
According to various videos and photos circulating on social media, no female investigators were seen near him.
The move marked a dramatic change from the incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a security guard protecting Trump at a campaign rally there was suddenly a sniper shot, grazed his ear.
At that moment, people were seen crowding around the former president and dragging him off the stage, including three female investigators.
The announcement comes after Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle vowed to “adapt Secret Service operations as necessary to ensure the highest level of safety and security” at both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions in Chicago next month.
Cheatle, who has faced growing calls for him to resign following the assassination attempt, also argued that “changes” have already been put in place to allow Trump to “continue to defend the convention and the remainder of the campaign.”
It wasn’t immediately clear whether those changes included details of the more muscular man.
Some on social media were quick to welcome the boost, arguing that a testosterone boost would allow them to better protect the former commander in chief.
“This makes sense. Biology doesn’t care what you think. This is a better way to protect this guy,” one user tweeted.
Another added: “Trump’s new Secret Service team is now all male. During the assassination attempt the female agents were seen fiddling with their holsters, hiding behind Trump and generally looking incompetent. Is security or the military really a good place for women?”
Cheatle and her office have come under intense scrutiny in the wake of Trump’s near-death experience onstage at a campaign rally.
Critics argue that Cheatle, a 28-year veteran of the Secret Service, has placed too much emphasis on mindful “diversity, equity and inclusion” (DEI) efforts, such as her stated intention to have 30% of the Secret Service be women by 2030, at the expense of security.
In the aftermath of the shooting, former FBI Deputy Director Chris Swecker told The Washington Post that the three female agents guarding Trump were clearly overwhelmed when bullets began flying.
“The women who were with the president seemed to be running around in circles. One didn’t know how to holster her gun, another didn’t know what to do, and another couldn’t find her holster,” he said.
“DEI is one thing. Competence and effectiveness are two other things. That’s where I found DEI.”
