The US Secret Service condemned as an "insult" rightwing attacks on the performance of female agents after Donald Trump's foiled assassination attempt, stressing that the existence of such personnel and a woman as agency chief are the product of diversity programs.

Anthony Guglielmi, the Secret Service's communications head, told NBC that it was an "insult to the women of our agency to imply that they are unqualified based on gender," adding that unfounded claims like those undermine "professionalism, dedication, and expertise" of members. 

While giving a presidential speech at a #Pennsylvania rally, presidential candidate #DonaldTrump was shot, and appears to have sustained a mild gunshot wound.

Officials have told CBC News that the former president's state is fine, with his entourage requesting enhanced security.… https://t.co/TokXAkkhqu

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 13, 2024

Kimberly Cheatle, the Secret Service director, has come under severe scrutiny as claims of significant security flaws emerge. Despite calls to quit and being accosted by Republican senators at the GOP conference in Milwaukee, she was handed a subpoena for testimony before Congress next week.

Cheatle, the agency's second female leader, is facing right-wing charges that she only got the job because she supported measures to enhance diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) in the past.

Julia Pierson, the Secret Service's first female director, resigned in 2014 following high-profile security failings.

Since the botched Trump assassination, right-wingers have targeted female agents in the field.

Elected Republicans, who are accustomed to blaming DEI for alleged military weakness and even the collapse of a bridge in Baltimore harbor, have leveled similar claims.

Cory Mills, a Florida congressman speaking to Fox News, expressed that DEI hires have spiked under Biden's administration, stating that "when you primarily go after D-E-I, you end up with D-I-E."

Cheatle, a former agent, worked for Pepsi until being named Secret Service director in 2022, leading Tim Burchett of Tennessee to post: "I can't imagine that a DEI hire from Pepsi would be a bad choice as the head of the Secret Service." 

The Secret Service currently reports that women make up 24% of its staff.

Guglielmi defended the agency to NBC claiming that all officers and agents are "highly trained and fully capable of performing our missions."

Secret Service denies claims of refusing added protection for Trump

The US Secret Service dismissed allegations that it had denied additional security for US Presidential candidate, Donald Trump, before his campaign rally in Pennsylvania, where he was shot in the ear in an assassination attempt.

The Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a post on X that the assertions were "absolutely false", adding that the agency had "added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo."

Theres an untrue assertion that a member of the former President’s team requested additional security resources & that those were rebuffed. This is absolutely false. In fact, we added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo

— Anthony Guglielmi (@SecretSvcSpox) July 14, 2024

The US Department of Homeland Security is launching an open investigation into security lapses that resulted in the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s attempted assassination during a weekend rally last week, announced the federal department on Wednesday.

The probe will "evaluate the United States Secret Service's process for securing former President Trump's July 13, 2024 campaign event," the office of the DHS inspector general said in a statement.

President Joe Biden said on Monday that he has conducted an independent investigation into the security at the rally "to assess exactly what happened," adding that the investigation results will be revealed to the public. However, it remains unclear whether this probe aligns with the review announced by the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general.

Security preparations were questioned following Trump’s attempted assassination by a 20-year-old Pennsylvanian man, Thomas Matthew Crooks. A Secret Service agent shot the assailant after he opened fire at the former president’s rally without a clear motive.

Crooks' assassination attempt caused the death of an individual, critically injured two spectators, and wounded Trump's right ear as he was delivering a speech to his supporters before the upcoming elections.