The Secret Service has come under fire for its focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which critics say have taken precedence over hiring the best possible candidates. The agency's director of equity has outlined how every action at the Secret Service should be informed by DEI, and the agency has hosted seminars on "respectful use of pronouns" and promoted Pride events to recruit transgender people.
The Secret Service has been heavily criticized for its failure to prevent former President Trump from being shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last weekend. Many Republican lawmakers have called for Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to resign, accusing her of prioritizing "woke" ideologies rooted in DEI instead of only focusing on hiring the best for the agency.
Cheatle has stressed the importance of increasing diversity in the Secret Service, saying that the agency's strategic plan for 2023-27 is focused on achieving excellence through talent, technology, and diversity. She has said that she is particularly interested in attracting more women to the agency, with a goal of increasing female recruits to 30% of the workforce.
Secret Service Prioritizes DEI Over Hiring Best Candidates
The agency's website states that Cheatle is responsible for executing the agency's integrated mission of "protection and investigations by leading a diverse workforce." However, critics argue that the agency's focus on DEI has come at the expense of hiring the best possible candidates.
Andrew "Drew" Cannady, a supervisory attorney-advisor for the Secret Service's Office of Chief Counsel, has explained how the agency has been going to Pride events to recruit candidates and has seen more transgender people in the service as a result. He said that the Secret Service has also put on programming to educate its workforce on how to use pronouns.
Secret Service Prioritizes DEI Over Hiring Best Candidates
Cannady said: "We will put on things during Unity Day, which, you know, for listeners, is the annual day of the Secret Service, where we celebrate various groups… that the Secret Service has in its workforce. And, you know, during that, we've hosted things like a seminar on the respectful use of pronouns, to sort of try to educate the workforce."
Despite growing calls to step down over the attack, which killed one rally attendee and critically injured two others, Cheatle said she will not resign.
Secret Service Prioritizes DEI Over Hiring Best Candidates
The Secret Service has not immediately responded to a request for comment.
While the Secret Service has made strides in increasing diversity, some critics argue that the agency needs to focus more on hiring the best possible candidates, regardless of their race, gender, or sexual orientation. They believe that the agency's focus on DEI has compromised its ability to protect the president and other high-profile individuals.
Secret Service Prioritizes DEI Over Hiring Best Candidates
Others argue that the Secret Service's focus on DEI is necessary to create a more inclusive and welcoming workplace. They believe that the agency's efforts to increase diversity will ultimately make it more effective in carrying out its mission.
The debate over the Secret Service's focus on DEI is likely to continue in the wake of the attack on former President Trump. It is a complex issue with no easy answers. The Secret Service will need to carefully balance its commitment to diversity and inclusion with its need to hire the best possible candidates to protect the president and other high-profile individuals.
Secret Service Prioritizes DEI Over Hiring Best Candidates
