A physical altercation between a pair of uniformed Secret Service agents guarding former President Barack Obama’s DC residence earlier this week necessitated a call to a supervisor, according to a report.
Susan Crabtree, RealClearPolitics’ national correspondent, posted the “scoop” on the X platform, which contained alarming details as the administration seeks to rebuild the agency and its trust with the American public following a near-assassination attempt on President Donald Trump’s life last summer.
“Two female Secret Service Uniformed Division officers got into a physical fight outside former President Obama’s D.C. residence while guarding it. The fracas occurred at roughly 2:30 a.m. early Wednesday morning, according to two sources in the Secret Service community,” Crabtree’s post began.
“The lack of professionalism was on display during the fight and in a call one of the women made on a recorded Secret Service line to request a supervisor to come to the scene ‘immediately before I whoop this girl’s ass,’” she continued in a post that contained an alleged audio recording of the call.
“The woman officer who made the call was upset that her shift replacement was late and assailed her verbally and physically when she finally did arrive to relieve her. Audio of the early a.m. call is now circulating among agents and officers and is attached to this X post,” Crabtree continued.
“It’s unclear whether either woman was injured or whether they will be disciplined over the altercation. The fight did not wake anyone in the Obama residence or the surrounding neighborhood, the sources said,” she added.
“The incident is raising new concerns among fellow Secret Service agents and officers about the agency’s lowering of hiring standards during years of a major DEI push to add more minorities and women to the ranks under previous Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle,” Crabtree continued.
“Cheatle resigned under a cloud after the J13 assassination attempt against Donald Trump. The Secret Service for years has experienced low morale and a severe manpower shortage, which is also contributing to lower hiring standards as the agency works to increase its agents and officers,” she said, referencing the July 13 incident in Butler, Pa.
“It’s unclear whether either woman was injured or whether they will be disciplined over the altercation. The fight did not wake anyone in the Obama residence or the surrounding neighborhood, the sources said,” she added.
“The incident is raising new concerns among fellow Secret Service agents and officers about the agency’s lowering of hiring standards during years of a major DEI push to add more minorities and women to the ranks under previous Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle,” Crabtree continued.
“Cheatle resigned under a cloud after the J13 assassination attempt against Donald Trump. The Secret Service for years has experienced low morale and a severe manpower shortage, which is also contributing to lower hiring standards as the agency works to increase its agents and officers,” she said, referencing the July 13 incident in Butler, Pa.
In another X post, Crabtree added:
Numerous sources in the Secret Service community have questioned whether Sean Curran, who Trump tapped to lead the agency, is doing anything to roll back the agency’s DEI initiatives. For instance, they wonder if he has rescinded Cheatle’s previous commitment to a national 30×30 pledge that has a goal of hiring 30% women in law enforcement by 2030.
Many sources are quick to say that they know several women agents and officers who are exceptional at their jobs, but stress there are others who lack the skills, physical strength, and professionalism that serving in the Secret Service requires yet remain on the job and are sometimes promoted over more qualified men. The sources acknowledge that there also are unprofessional men who fail to meet prior Secret Service training and professionalism standards. But these sources say Cheatle’s push to hire more women at the agency in recent years has led to quite a few women lacking the necessary protective skills the jobs require.
After the assassination attempt, memes showing an overweight agent struggling to holster her gun while trying to evacuate Trump circulated widely over the Internet. That agent was serving as the “lead agent” in charge of security for Trump’s entire visit to Butler (his arrival at the airport, his remarks on stage and departure), although another female agent was in charge of site security and was responsible for failing to ensure that local law enforcement officers were stationed on the roof of the AGR building where Crooks opened fire on Trump and the crowd.
As RealClearPolitics reported last year, before the assassination attempt. A female Secret Service agent experiencing a mental breakdown at Joint Base Andrews physically attacked her supervisor while armed and had to be wrestled to the ground, cuffed, and removed from the terminal.