New York CNN  —  In the days following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, the Secret Service, charged with securing the Pennsylvania event, has faced scrutiny for the extraordinary breach that led to the agency’s worst failure in decades. But one narrative has quickly taken hold in parts of the right-wing media ecosystem: The security failure was the result of workforce diversity initiatives and women working as Secret Service agents. While the security lapse happened outside of the event’s hard perimeter at a poorly secured building roughly 120 to 150 meters away from the stage, prominent right-wing figures have launched misogynistic attacks, blaming the female agents positioned near Trump as well as Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle, the second woman to hold the top job and an advocate for women to join the force. US Secret Service agents and counter assault team react moments after shots were fired toward former president Donald Trump during a campaign rally at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Getty Images Related article Secret Service ‘solely responsible’ for implementation and execution of security at the Trump rally site, director tells CNN In the seconds after shots rang out Saturday, male and female agents positioned on stage with Trump sprang into action to protect the former president with their own bodies. But in a series of social media posts and television appearances, right-wing media pundits have targeted the female agents’ response, claiming they lacked the experience, size, and capability to handle the situation. Edited videos that garnered millions of views on social media as supposed evidence of female incompetence, showed a female Secret Service agent seemingly struggling to holster her gun amid the chaotic scene as a group of agents escorted Trump to his motorcade. Groups that represent women in law enforcement are also raising the alarm, saying such attacks are dangerous and disingenuous. Matt Walsh, a far-right media personality, wrote a series of posts on the social media platform X assailing the notion of women working as Secret Service agents. “There should not be any women in the Secret Service. These are supposed to be the very best, and none of the very best at this job are women,” he wrote. Walsh, who has advocated for traditional gender roles, claimed without evidence that if any woman is hired in the Secret Service, “it 100 percent means that a more qualified male was passed over.” But those experienced in federal law enforcement note that the female agents on Trump’s detail acted swiftly along with their male counterparts. “One female agent joined the phalanx in shielding Trump from any possible additional incoming rounds, while another female agent with her gun drawn provided rear security,” said Josh Campbell, former FBI supervisory special agent and CNN security correspondent. “Female agents were also among those guarding Trump’s armored SUV as it prepared to depart the scene,” said Campbell.