When Secret Service puts DEI first, its protectees are endangered

Let’s hope that thorough investigations will determine just how DEI policies may have played a role in the glaring security breach during the Trump assassination attempt.

James A. Gagliano is a retired FBI supervisory agent and doctoral candidate in homeland security at St. John’s University. He is a former senior SWAT team leader in the FBI’s New York Division and member of its hostage rescue team. He currently serves as mayor of Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, and on the board of directors for the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund. 

To witness Cheatle’s mechanical testimony in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability on Monday was an exercise in frustration and futility. What little empathy she might have wrung out of the grilling was mitigated by her steadfast refusal to answer basic questions – topics she had previously addressed during media appearances. Her underwhelming responses portend increased scrutiny for a discreet agency suddenly thrust into the national spotlight.