Secret Service under fire again after agent allegedly ‘abandoned her post’ at Trump's NC rally to breastfeed
The female Secret Service agent allegedly “abandoned her post” with “no permission/warning to the event site agent."
The US Secret Service is reportedly investigating whether a female agent left her post at Donald Trump’s North Carolina rally to breastfeed. These are the latest allegations against the Secret Service, with the agency having been facing massive criticism in the past weeks due to its failure to protect Trump and others during an assassination attempt at the former president’s Pennsylvania rally. Recently, agents were also accused of allegedly breaking into a Massachusetts salon to use the bathroom.
What are the allegations?
Shortly after the Trump campaign event in Asheville, North Carolina, RealClearPolitics correspondent Susan Crabtree made the breastfeeding allegation in a post on X. She alleged that the female agent “abandoned her post” with “no permission/warning to the event site agent, according to three sources in the Secret Service community.”
“Shortly before Trump's motorcade arrival -- I'm told five minutes beforehand -- the site agent was getting ready for the arrival. (The site agent is the person in charge of the entire event's security.),” Crabtree wrote.
“The site agent went to do one final sweep of the walking route and found the agent breast-feeding her child in a room that is supposed to be set aside for important Secret Service official work, i.e. a potential emergency related to the president,” she added. “A working agent on duty cannot bring a child to a protective assignment. The woman was out of the Atlanta Field Office.”
Crabtree added that the agent was in the room along with two family members, and that they “bypassed the Uniformed Division checkpoint and were escorted by an unpinned event staff into the room to breastfeed,” as per sources. They had not been cleared by the Secret Service to be there, she alleged.
{{/usCountry}}Crabtree added that the agent was in the room along with two family members, and that they “bypassed the Uniformed Division checkpoint and were escorted by an unpinned event staff into the room to breastfeed,” as per sources. They had not been cleared by the Secret Service to be there, she alleged.
{{/usCountry}}Crabtree added that on being contacted, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the incident is under review. "All employees of the U.S. Secret Service are held to the highest standards," Guglielmi said, as quoted by Crabtree. “While there was no impact to the North Carolina event, the specifics of this incident are being examined. Given this is a personnel matter, we are not in a position to comment further.”
{{/usCountry}}Crabtree added that on being contacted, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the incident is under review. "All employees of the U.S. Secret Service are held to the highest standards," Guglielmi said, as quoted by Crabtree. “While there was no impact to the North Carolina event, the specifics of this incident are being examined. Given this is a personnel matter, we are not in a position to comment further.”
{{/usCountry}}Secret Service Director Kimberley Cheatle resigned after facing massive backlash over the agency’s handling of the assassination attempt on Trump. During a joint congressional hearing, Acting Secret Service director Ronald Rowe said that he was “ashamed” of the lapses due to which gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to open fire.
