This week’s episode of The Drill Down podcast (Heads Have to Roll) finds GAI President Peter Schweizer and Vice President Eric Eggers discussing the catastrophic failure of The Secret Service to protect former President and 2024 GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump in Butler, PA.
“Secret Service has undergone a big change over the last 20 years,” Schweizer says. “And I think that’s part of the problem that they’re facing and the reason they had this failure in Pennsylvania.”
“They are now part of this massive Department of Homeland Security being run by Mayorkas. And they’ve actually had their budget cut over the last 10 years because DHS has decided to publicize or prioritize other things,” Schweizer continues.
One of those priorities is DEI. According to the Secret Service website:
The United States Secret Service is dedicated to maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation for engaging in protected activity. This assurance extends to all employees, former employees, contract employees, applicants for employment, and any persons dealing with the Secret Service on official business, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, protected genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, political affiliation, veteran status, retaliation or any other basis protected by law. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination and is prohibited.
Head of the Secret Service Kim Cheatle is facing criticism and may soon be out of a job for her history of prioritizing DEI efforts instead of focusing on training and preparedness.
“Recently, they’ve had a lot of problems with the quality of their agents,” Schweizer says. “There’s a CBS video that talks about the Secret Service’s plans to include a more diverse workforce.”
In an interview with CBS News in 2023, Cheatle said that one of her goals was for the agency to increase its female recruits to 30% by the year 2030. The agency is one of numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that have signed onto the 30×30 initiative, an effort to increase the representation of women in all ranks of policing across the country to 30% of the workforce by 2030.
Cheatle’s Secret Service also reportedly put Trump in danger by denying requests for more protection.
Former Secret Service Agent and pro-Trump podcast host Dan Bongino recently told Fox News that he’s heard reports that previous requests for increased security for Trump have been rebuffed.
“There have been repeated requests to increase the security footprint around not just the residences of Donald Trump but the body itself. And they have been rebuffed,” said Bongino.
Cheatle’s days as Head of Secret Service are very likely numbered. The latest reports highlight that Trump’s would-be assassin was seen numerous times — and flagged as a suspicious character — before firing at the ex-president.
From The New York Post:
It’s the latest damning piece of evidence that Crooks, who was deemed suspicious up to three hours before the shooting, was able to move freely around the supposedly secure area.
Law enforcement sources said that Crooks was identified as “suspicious” an hour before the shooting, and the Secret Service deemed him a “threat” 10 minutes prior to Trump going on stage, but let the GOP nominee take the podium anyway.
“Heads will roll,” Schweizer says.
Don’t miss this week’s episode, Heads Have to Roll, for more in-depth analysis from The Drill Down crew. And don’t forget to check out last week’s cast, Fail to the Chief.
