Ryan Bridge: There should be minimum standards for Secret Service agents

Have you seen the story floating around about the U.S. Secret Service? 

After the assassination attempt on Trump, the internet's been going nuts. 

Not just because, how did this happen? What a monumental cock-up. Who's responsible? 

But also because a number of the agents trying to protect the president were women. 

According to Time magazine, based on video of the shooting, one of these agents looked frazzled and couldn't get her gun back into its holster. 

Another apparently frantically shouted "what are we doing? where are we going?" after the shots were fired. 

Meghan McCain, daughter of former presidential nominee John McCain posted on X: 

"This is why the notion of men and women being the same is just absurd. You need to be taller than the candidate to protect them with your body. Why do they have these short women guarding trump? (Trump and biden are both over 6 ft) this is embarrassing and dangerous." 

Some are blaming diversity, equity and inclusion targets which aim to have 30% of the Secret Service agents women. 

I remember similar angst from some male firefighters a few years back, they didn't trust smaller women to be able to pull them out of a burning building should the need arise. 

Others say these arguments are sexist and women can do anything etc. 

Both these arguments have merit. 

It's a fact that men are generally taller and bigger than women. 

But that doesn't mean all men are. 

I can think of many women taller and bigger than me who could frankly beat the crap out of me. 

If I needed a bodyguard, or saving from a burning building, their sex wouldn't bother me. 

But if the person is smaller and not as strong, whether it's a Secret Service agent of a firefighter, shouldn't there be minimum standards that apply to ensure safety? 

I think Meghan McCain has a point. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Have you seen the story floating around in the last
couple of days about the US Secret Service after that
assassination attempt on President Trump? The internet's been going nuts,
not because how did it happen? What a cockup? Who's responsible?
But also because a number of the agents trying to
protect the president were women. According to Time magazine, this
is based on video of the shooting. One of these

(00:21):
agents looked quite frazzled and couldn't get a gun back
into its holster. Another apparently frantically shouted what are we doing?
Where are we going? After the shots were fired, and
Meghan McCain, the daughter of John McCain, the former presidential nominee, tweeted,
this is why the notion of men and women being
that's the same is just absurd. You need to be

(00:42):
taller than the candidate to protect them with your body.
Why do they have these short women guarding Trump? Quite
an explosive opinion from Meghan McCain. Some are blaming the
diversity inclusion targets. Apparently they've got a target of having
thirty percent of the Secret Service agents as women, and
I can remember similar acts from some firefighters male firefighters

(01:06):
a few years back. They didn't trust women, well smaller
women to be able to pull them out of a
burning building should the need arise, And others say that
these arguments are sexist, that women can and should do anything, etc.
Both of these arguments I think kind of have merit.
It's a fact that men are generally taller and bigger
than women, but that doesn't mean all men are. I

(01:29):
can think of many women who are taller and bigger
than me who could frankly beat the crap out of
me if I needed a bodyguard or saving from a
burning building. Their sex wouldn't be an issue to me.
But if the person is smaller and not as strong,
whether it's a Secret Service agent or whether it's a firefighter,
shouldn't there be minimum standards that apply to ensure safety.

(01:53):
Surely safety would be top of mind when it comes
to both of those occupations. Fighters end to the Secret Service,
So perhaps Meghan McCain, no matter how outrageous, has a
point on this one. For more from News Talks at
b listen live on air or online, and keep our
shows with you wherever you go with our podcasts on

(02:16):
iHeartRadio