The Secret Service is currently investigating a report alleging that a female agent left her post during a Trump campaign event to breastfeed. The incident reportedly took place at former President Donald Trump’s rally in Asheville, North Carolina, on Wednesday.
In a statement shared with Newsweek on Thursday, Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi stated, “All employees of the U.S. Secret Service are held to the highest standards. While there was no impact to the North Carolina event, the specifics of this incident are being examined. Given this is a personnel matter, we are not in a position to comment further.”
The controversy began after RealClearPolitics correspondent Susan Crabtree reported that a female Secret Service agent abandoned her post “to breastfeed with no permission/warning to the event site agent.” According to Crabtree, the site agent, conducting a final sweep of the walking route, discovered the agent breastfeeding her child in a room designated for critical Secret Service operations, potentially related to emergencies involving the president.
Crabtree noted that Secret Service agents on duty are prohibited from bringing children to protective assignments. She further reported that the agent, who was from the Atlanta Field Office, was accompanied by two other family members at the time of the incident.
This controversy is the latest in a series of challenges facing the Secret Service. The agency has been under intense scrutiny following an attempted assassination of Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last month. Security lapses during that event allowed a sniper to get close enough to fire at Trump, leading to multiple investigations and the subsequent resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.
Additionally, the agency has faced criticism regarding other federal agents being seen wearing Secret Service patches at 2024 campaign events. A recent photo of a Department of Homeland Security officer wearing a Secret Service patch at a rally for Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, sparked concerns. The officer, who is a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations, was not directly affiliated with the Secret Service.
In response to these concerns, the Secret Service told Newsweek on Wednesday that the incident did not pose any security risks. The agency also confirmed that corrective action had been taken, and agency-wide guidance was issued, instructing its workforce not to lend Secret Service insignias to other law enforcement officials.
As the investigation into the breastfeeding incident continues, the Secret Service remains under pressure to address the various issues that have recently come to light.