Watch live: Pennsylvania police chief testifies on Trump shooting

Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Colonel Christopher Paris is scheduled to testify before the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday about the attempted assassination of former President Trump.

As members of Congress from both parties questioned U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on Monday about how a gunman managed to shoot former President Donald Trump in an assassination attempt, several Republican lawmakers blamed the gender of the population and the agency’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts for the security failure.

“Ma’am, you are a DEI horror story,” Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee told Cheatle during the hours-long hearing before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

Wisconsin State Representative Glenn Grothman asked the director if she “doesn’t hire men because you want to achieve certain goals.”

And Texas Rep. Michael Cloud questioned Cheatle’s strategic plan for the Secret Service, in which she advocates for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, including her support of the 30×30 initiative, which aims to increase the proportion of female recruits to 30% by 2030.

“Does every intelligence agent meet the same qualifications, or are there different standards for different people?” asked Cloud.

“Yes, sir. Everyone who goes through the application process must meet the same standards to become a special agent,” Cheatle replied.

The backlash against DEI from conservatives has grown since last June, when the Supreme Court ruled to end affirmative action in college admissions. Several companies have come under fire for their DEI policies, including John Deere, Tractor Supply, Target and Bud Light.

The latest DEI attack occurred in full view of the Secret Service and Cheatle on Monday, but the issue has been brewing since the July 13 assassination attempt at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania, where several female agents were among the former president’s protectors and several conservatives questioned their suitability for the service.

“There should be no women in the Secret Service. They should be the very best, and none of the very best in that job is a woman,” conservative political commentator Matt Walsh posted the morning after X’s assassination attempt. “If a woman does a job like that, it 100 percent means a more qualified man was passed over.”

Meghan McCain, the daughter of the late Senator and US presidential candidate John McCain, reposted Walsh’s statement, adding: “The idea that men and women are equal is just absurd. You have to be bigger than the candidate to protect him with your body. Why do they have these small women guarding Trump (one of whom apparently can’t even carry a gun)? This is embarrassing and dangerous.”

In photos immediately following the shooting, an agent can be seen shielding Trump with her body.

David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at New York University School of Law, said the renewed criticism of DEI comes as no surprise.

“It’s become a pretty consistent pattern that whenever something goes wrong, DEI gets blamed,” he said. “After the Baltimore Bridge collapse, there were people blaming DEI,” and the same thing happened after Boeing struggled with aircraft safety issues.

Massachusetts Democrat Ayanna Pressley said it was “disgraceful” that Republicans were using “sexist stereotypes” and blaming women for the security failures at Trump’s rally. She said she believed her Republican colleagues were exploiting the shooting to “continue to attack progress toward racial justice and gender equality in America.” She also criticized Cheatle for not adequately addressing questions during Monday’s hearing.

“Every day that you don’t give us answers, Director Cheatle, you get more oxygen to make your baseless claims that women and people of color are responsible for tragic events. And that’s dangerous, too,” Pressley said.

For her part, Cheatle said, “The incident on the 13th has nothing to do with DEI. The incident on the 13th has to do with a gap in planning or communication.”

Under Cheatle, the Secret Service has continued its commitment to the 30×30 initiative, which aims to improve the representation and experience of women in law enforcement. According to the organization’s website, women currently make up just 12% of sworn officers and 3% of police leadership in the U.S. Cheatle herself is only the second woman to lead the Secret Service.

Dozens of other police departments and law enforcement agencies have also joined the 30×30 initiative, including in Republican states like Iowa, North Dakota, Arkansas, Kansas and Florida. And so far, none of those agencies have backed down from their efforts.

Catrina Bonus, president of Women in Federal Law Enforcement, called the attacks on DEI “disheartening.”

“Today’s rhetoric questioning our presence in law enforcement is not just outdated; it is rooted in ignorance,” she said in a statement. “It dishonors the trailblazers who overcame unimaginable challenges to make this profession more inclusive and equitable – and the next generation to show them that law enforcement is full of open doors and opportunities, and through hard work and determination they can accomplish anything they set their minds to.”

Maureen McGough, co-founder of the 30×30 initiative, spoke out strongly against gender criticism.

“We think about the women who risk their lives every day to do this job in the police force, who are called to duty, who make incredible sacrifices. And for people who have never set foot in the arena to accuse them just because of their gender, it’s sad, you know, it’s heartbreaking,” she said.

“But it is also an opportunity for us to redouble our efforts,” McGough added.