Trump honors ‘brave’ female Secret Service agent who would have ‘taken a bullet’ for him

“There wasn't one that was slow, a woman that was on my right, a beautiful person,” Trump said at a rally in Minnesota on Saturday. “She was shielding me with everything she could and she got criticized by the fake news because she wasn't tall enough.”

“She was so brave, she was shielding me with everything, she wanted to take a bullet,” Trump added.

Following videos and pictures released immediately after the assassination attempt on the former president, many critics online pointed out the female agent’s smaller stature compared to other agents. X owner Elon Musk commented, “Having a small person as body cover for a large man is like an undersized Speedo at the beach – doesn't cover the subject.”

“Could be a man or a woman, to be clear, just needs to be large enough to do the job,” Musk added.

Video footage from the aftermath of the shooting showed another female agent struggling to holster her gun and appearing confused about where to go, which also drew criticism. Attention has since turned to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who has emphasized making Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) a priority in the agency. In a previous interview, Cheatle stated her goal of ensuring that at least 30 percent of agents are female by 2030.

"I'm very conscious as I sit in this chair now of making sure that we need to attract diverse candidates and ensure that we are developing and giving opportunities to everybody in our workforce, and particularly women," said Cheatle. She has since resigned.