Secret Service suspends 6 agents over Trump assassination attempt — but some argue the real story is who didn't get punished​



Nearly a year after the assassination attempt against President Donald Trump at the infamous campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, six U.S. Secret Service agents have been suspended. However, some are saying that the real story is who in the Secret Service didn't face any consequences over the fatal fiasco.

Matt Quinn, the deputy director of the Secret Service, told CBS News that six agents had been suspended without pay. The suspensions range from 10 to 42 days as punishment for the egregious failures during the assassination attempt against Trump on July 13, 2024.

'We were all sitting ducks that day. Our blood is all over their hands. I am angry.'

The news outlet noted that the Secret Service employees would be placed on restricted duty or roles with less operational responsibility when they return to work.

"We are laser-focused on fixing the root cause of the problem," Quinn stated on Wednesday.

Quinn defended the decision not to terminate any of the agents by saying, "We aren't going to fire our way out of this. We're going to focus on the root cause and fix the deficiencies that put us in that situation."

"Secret Service is totally accountable for Butler," Quinn confessed. "Butler was an operational failure, and we are focused today on ensuring that it never happens again."

The Secret Service has faced significant criticism for allowing gunman Thomas Crooks to open fire on the stage of the rally from a rooftop a short distance away.

A Secret Service sniper killed Crooks, but not before he was able to fire multiple rounds toward the rally stage, where Trump was speaking.

One of the bullets grazed Trump's ear, which caused blood to stream down his face. Corey Comperatore — a 50-year-old firefighter, father, and devoted husband — was fatally shot while attending the Trump rally. Two other rallygoers were wounded during the deadly shooting.

Helen Comperatore, the widow of Corey Comperatore, told Fox News in an interview that aired on Thursday, "We were all sitting ducks that day. Our blood is all over their hands. I am angry. I lost the love of my life. They screwed up."

The widow continued by listing several security lapses by the Secret Service, "Why Butler? Why was that such a failure? Why weren't they paying attention? Why did they think that that roof didn't need to be covered? I want to sit down and talk to them. I have the right to. They need to listen to me."

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said of the suspensions, "Given the shocking security failures that day, this is the absolute bare minimum."

RELATED: Holy shot: Did Trump's assassination attempt survival prove miracles are real?

  

Susan Crabtree, a national political correspondent for RealClearPolitics, revealed the identities of the six agents who were suspended without pay. Crabtree also noted two Secret Service supervisors who played significant roles at the Butler rally and later received promotions.

Citing multiple sources in the Secret Service community, Crabtree reported that the agents who were suspended are:

  • Myosoty Perez, an "inexperienced" site agent.
  • Dana DuBrey, a mid-level agent and Perez’s local counterpart agent.
  • Meredith Bank, the "lead advance agent charged with coordinating security" with local aw enforcement, according to RCP.
  • Tim Burke, the Secret Service's special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh Field Office.
  • Brian Pardini, second in charge of the Pittsburgh Field Office.
  • John Marciniak, the agency's lead counter-sniper at the Butler rally.

RELATED: Reporter who attended Butler rally REVEALS what President Trump said BEFORE 'Fight, fight, fight!'

  Photo by REBECCA DROKE/AFP via Getty Images

However, some are pointing out that the higher-ups responsible for the Butler rally’s security not only dodged consequences — they got promoted.

Crabtree wrote on the X social media platform that there is a "big contingent in the Secret Service that believes the Pittsburgh office is unfairly taking the fall" for the Trump rally debacle.

Crabtree reported that two key Secret Service supervisors who "signed off on the Butler security plan and two who were on the final walkthroughs before the J13 rally" were never disciplined, yet did receive "big promotions."

Crabtree noted, "One of those supervisors on the final walkthroughs, Nick Menster, was assigned this year as the No. 2 in charge of the Lara and Eric Trump protective detail."

Crabtree continued, "The other, Nick Olszewski, ironically, became the chief (special agent in charge) of the Inspection Division, which is responsible for ensuring the accountability and integrity of the agency’s personnel and operations."

Larry Berger, an attorney for several of the suspended Secret Service agents, hinted that legal action could be taken against the agency.

"We avoided more severe sanctions, and now we’re assessing the next steps," Berger told Crabtree.

Two weeks after the assassination attempt against President Trump, then-Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned following bipartisan pressure. Cheatle was replaced after Trump's inauguration by Sean Curran, who was on stage with Trump during the attempt on his life.

Blaze News reached out to the Secret Service for comment, and the agency did not confirm or deny the identities of the agents who were suspended.

On Thursday, the Secret Service announced new organizational reforms for the agency following the conclusion of investigations into the failures during the attempted assassination of President Trump.

The Secret Service noted that it has implemented 21 recommendations made by congressional oversight bodies and that 16 more are in the process of being enacted.

Curran said in a statement on Thursday, "Since President Trump appointed me as director of the United States Secret Service, I have kept my experience on July 13 top of mind, and the agency has taken many steps to ensure such an event can never be repeated in the future. Nothing is more important to the Secret Service than the safety and security of our protectees. As director, I am committed to ensuring our agency is fully equipped, resourced, and aligned to carry out our important mission each and every day."

RELATED: Dan Bongino’s warning: Trump is NOT safe

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Exclusive: Trump and Noem fuel record-breaking DHS recruitment surge, defying left's anti-cop chaos



Outside of the left's fiery anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement riots in Los Angeles, its relentless campaign to vilify law enforcement is floundering, as most recently evidenced by a robust turnout at the Department of Homeland Security's latest recruiting event.

Blaze News exclusively learned that the DHS 2025 career expo for law enforcement experienced "record-breaking success," with thousands of Americans attending the large-scale hiring event last week in Chantilly, Virginia.

'These numbers were possible even despite doxxing threats, increased assaults, and the recent wave of politicians' anti-cop rhetoric.'

A DHS press release obtained by Blaze News revealed that the expo aimed to "fill mission-critical law and immigration enforcement, border security, and national security roles across the department."

More than 3,000 Americans attended, leading the DHS to issue over 1,000 tentative job offers. These latest recruiting numbers are nearly double those from the DHS' 2023 law enforcement hiring expo, the last time a two-day event of this kind was held, where the department made only 564 tentative job offers.

RELATED: After Trump's decisive action, protests cooling in LA

  Image Source: The Department of Homeland Security

The event allowed applicants to meet with representatives from several of DHS' law enforcement wings, including ICE, the Transportation Security Administration, Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Protective Service, the Secret Service, and the Coast Guard.

  Image Source: The Department of Homeland Security

In addition to connecting with the department's various law enforcement representatives, interested and qualified candidates participated in interviews and began the security and background check processes.

"The record turnout for the event proves that President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem have inspired a new generation of Americans to serve their country in law enforcement," the DHS stated. "These numbers were possible even despite doxxing threats, increased assaults, and the recent wave of politicians' anti-cop rhetoric. Under their leadership, more Americans are willing to answer the call to protect and serve their fellow citizens."

RELATED: God, guns, and glory: Trump's DOD obliterates woke DEI madness in patriotic recruiting video

  Image Source: The Department of Homeland Security

"For example, between January–May 2025, more Americans applied to the Border Patrol than over any similar time frame in its history. U.S. Secret Service recruitment is up 200%," the department concluded.

The DHS credited Trump and Noem for restoring "excellence across federal agencies" and contributing to the "historic recruiting success."

  Image Source: The Department of Homeland Security

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DEI run amok? Secret Service 'cat fight' outside Obama home raises questions



Two female Secret Service agents were caught on video tussling outside former President Barack Obama's residence in Washington, D.C., earlier this month, reigniting concerns that diversity, equity, and inclusion-related policies implemented under previous administrations continue to impact the agency negatively.

Around 2:30 a.m. on May 21, two agents assigned to guard the Obama home "got into a physical fight," according to Susan Crabtree of RealClearPolitics. Crabtree confirmed to Blaze News that both women are black. They were also likely armed at the time.

Crabtree told Blaze News that the altercation began after an agent with 15 years' experience became upset that her shift replacement, an agent with three years' experience, arrived late and in the wrong vehicle. The more senior agent then reportedly made a call to a Secret Service line, threatening violence in notably crude, colloquial terms.

"Can I get a supervisor down to Delta 2 before I whoop this girl's a**?" she said, according to audio shared by Crabtree.

RELATED: Secret Service places at least 5 agents on leave weeks after Trump assassination attempt

— (@)  
 

'We likely witnessed the catastrophic consequences of sacrificing job knowledge, skills, fitness standards, and personal conduct in favor of immutable gender and racial characteristics to meet arbitrary diversity standards.'

Shortly after that call, the fight broke out, Crabtree explained. She later shared video of it on X:

— (@)  
 

The crass language and brief scuffle both seem to qualify as "offenses" delineated in a "Professionalism in the Workforce" report prepared by the USSS and submitted to Congress by the Department of Homeland Security in 2015.

  Screenshot of USSS report

In a statement obtained by Blaze News, the Secret Service acknowledged the "on-duty altercation" involving "two Uniformed Division officers." The statement claimed that both participants have been "suspended from duty."

"The Secret Service has a very strict code of conduct for all employees and any behavior that violates that code is unacceptable. Given this is a personnel matter, we are not in a position to comment further," the statement said.

A representative for Obama did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

Crabtree indicated to Blaze News that the fracas is yet another example of the "lowering of standards" at the "once-vaunted agency." She added that officials must give a strong response to it to demonstrate that they take such incidents "seriously."

Former FBI Special Agent Steve Friend claimed it is yet another "real-world consequence" of identity politics.

"Here we likely witnessed the catastrophic consequences of sacrificing job knowledge, skills, fitness standards, and personal conduct in favor of immutable gender and racial characteristics to meet arbitrary diversity standards," Friend said in a statement to Blaze News.

'What I’ve seen ... is a different set of standards based on gender.'

As the incident apparently involved two black female officers, many have begun to wonder whether past DEI emphases still affect the agency today, despite President Donald Trump's efforts to eradicate DEI policies across the federal government.

Though the alleged aggressor in the fight has been with the force for 15 years, the other officer joined just three years ago under President Joe Biden, who appointed Kimberly Cheatle to be USSS director in 2022. Just the second woman in history to lead the agency, Cheatle took several steps to increase female and minority representation at the Secret Service, including joining the 30x30 initiative, which called on law enforcement agencies across the country to increase female participation in policing to 30% by 2030.

Cheatle was still at the helm on July 13, 2024, when then-candidate Trump was shot and nearly assassinated during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Iconic images from the shooting showed both male and female Secret Service agents hustling to protect Trump and to shuttle him off the rally stage to safety.

RELATED: This deadly experiment endangered Trump’s life — and imperils public safety

  Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Video taken moments later went viral because it featured multiple female USSS agents gathered around the vehicle that would transport Trump away from the area. On the video, a heavyset female agent — seen in the above photo sliding off stage — struggled to holster her weapon. She and other agents, according to Friend, "appeared overwhelmed by the situation."

Cheatle resigned 10 days later.

In February, Special Agent Rashid Ellis, a 13-year veteran of the USSS, stated publicly that DEI policies were at least partially responsible for the Butler shooting. "My initial thoughts when seeing the Butler assassination attempt was dread," Ellis told the Independent Women’s Forum. "My stomach was in knots watching it because we had known for years that this was coming."

Though black, Ellis said he was passed up for a leadership position in part because of the agency's focus on gender "quotas."

"I’ve always viewed [it] as an honor and privilege to serve in this capacity. However ... what I’ve seen with the United States is a different set of standards based on gender."

While sources told Crabtree that some women at the USSS do excellent work, others have difficulty meeting physical standards and maintaining professionalism.

"To be in the Secret Service, you have to be worthy of trust and confidence," Ellis explained.

"Real danger is out there. We need to restore confidence. We have to be focused on the threat that’s outside and the threat that’s in front of us."

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Comey Tried To ’86’ Trump’s First Term With Russia Collusion Hoax

The former FBI director oversaw the leaks from the FBI that planted the hoax 'to subvert that first Trump administration,' Hemingway said.

HS teacher wants Secret Service to 'take out' all those who support 'Trump’s illegal, immoral, unconstitutional acts': Report



The Maine Wire is calling out what it says is a Waterville teacher's social media post, which contains some disturbing content in reference to President Donald Trump.

The outlet posted a screenshot on X of the social media post in question. It indicates the teacher is JoAnna St. Germain. A Tuesday Facebook post from St. Germain mirrors the wording of the screenshot from the Maine Wire. It reads:

The Secret Service has the perfect opportunity, if they choose to step up and take it.

You are the ones with power.

Coordinate. Take out every single person who supports Trump’s illegal, immoral, unconstitutional acts. Look at the sycophants and give them what they’re asking for.

Every other country sees what’s happening and they are taking stands.

If you step up, we can avoid a civil war.

I’m not talking about assassinating a president.

A president is a person duly elected by the American people.

Tr*mp has shamelessly bragged openly about stealing the election. He is making plans to give himself a third term.

I’m talking about Americans recognizing a fascist dictatorship and standing against it.

Secret Service, you are Americans.

My beloved military, you are Americans.

We, the people, are counting on you.

If I had the skill set required, I would take them out myself.

I’m making this post public for a reason, I promise you.

Don’t waste time wondering if I’m okay. I’m not. If you’re okay, you’re lying to yourself.

On Wednesday morning, St. Germain posted a follow-up message:

My friends.

I am so sorry you took that post to mean that all Republicans should die.

I have no beef with Republicans. I have no beef with MAGA.

I meant that those in the room with Trump, who are permitting and approving his egregious actions, need to be held accountable.

I’ve been teaching history for so long, and it’s very difficult to watch things repeat in rhymes.

I love each and every one of you, and I understand why you’re angry with me.
 
I love your children. I love the disabled. I love the LGBTQ+ community. I love black and brown people. I love autistic people.

My love holds no quarter for people in power actively harming those I love.

St. Germain added other posts Wednesday morning. One reads, "I'm not backtracking, I am clarifying. Trump is an immoral dictator wannabe. He needs to have a conversation with Jesus." Another post actually goes beyond the scope of her initial post and says Trump himself "needs to die":

You illiterate bums, oh my gosh.

I posted knowing I’d likely lose my job and benefits.

I have zero shame about what I’ve said.

I’m not backtracking a single thing.

I believe Trump and every sycophant he has surrounded himself with (this is not you — if you’re reading this, this doesn’t apply to you. You are beneath his notice and mine) needs to die.

I believe this with the same forceful belief that Hitler and his sycophants needed to die, before they murdered 6 million innocent Jewish persons.

Waterville Senior High School lists St. Germain as part of the English department.

Blaze News asked Waterville Public Schools on Wednesday to comment on St. Germain's social media posts, but Blaze News didn't immediately hear back from the school district.

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Climate extremist strikes again, this time apparently vandalizing Trump Tower



Trump Tower in New York City had to be closed to visitors on Wednesday after a man who is believed to be a member of a climate extremist group vandalized part of the lobby.

Shortly after noon, a young man walked into the public lobby of the building, strode over to the seal of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States, and proceeded to tag it with the letters "USA" in green spray paint, video from Freedom News TV showed.

The young man then knelt down beneath his apparent act of vandalism, eyes closed, soaking in the attention from the crowd gathered around with their cell phones in hand. He then pulled out a small banner with the message "Game Over" emblazoned on it and held it up for all to see.

Security agents quickly descended upon the individual, placing him in handcuffs and ordering him to leave. As they escorted him out of the building, the man robotically cried out, "This is your country. This is your country. This is our country.

"This is our planet," he continued. "You cannot ruin it without comment. They are ruining the planet for profit."

'All American political parties are equally complicit in inaction which has brought us to this point. Switching to blue is not the solution.'

While agents were busy detaining the young man, an older man wearing a backpack quickly stepped forward and apparently attempted to protect the spray painter from law enforcement. "Don't touch him!" the older man repeatedly barked.

The older man then demanded to know the name, badge number, and police department of the officer placing the younger man in handcuffs. The officer eventually appeared to tell the older man he was with NYPD, but his other remarks are unintelligible on the video.

Officers then cleared the area, claiming that it had to be shut down. Some tourists were not pleased.

"I was standing in line to take a picture. It’s ridiculous," Jeff from Missouri told amNewYork. "There is a lot of division in this country, a lot of whining — it is what it is."

One person can be heard on the video calling the spray painter a "f**king piece of s**t."

James Byrne, a U.S. Secret Service spokesperson, confirmed the incident in a statement. "The U.S. Secret Service is aware of an incident involving a person spray-painting graffiti inside the public lobby of Trump Tower in New York City," Byrne said. "There are no disruptions to protective operations. We thank the NYPD for their immediate response and unwavering partnership."

Trump is not believed to have been at Trump Tower at the time.

AmNewYork reported that the individual responsible for the vandalism is a member of the extremist group Extinction Rebellion NYC. The outlet also shared a statement from him:

I did this because I am an American. It is my duty to stand up for my country, and my Earth, when a government becomes destructive of our right to life. Donald Trump and the regime of private interests he works for — who donate equally to each party — are destructive of your inalienable right to life. All American political parties are equally complicit in inaction which has brought us to this point. Switching to blue is not the solution. Kamala Harris’ climate platform was fracked gas, much deadlier than regular. Decades of inaction have brought about the current climate catastrophe.

The outlet did not provide the name of the suspect or make any mention of the elderly man who attempted to run interference for him.

The detained individual reportedly claimed that he used removable chalk in the attack on Trump's seal. The New York Post, citing sources in law enforcement, claimed that he had previously been nabbed for criminal trespass at Columbia University.

AmNewYork further indicated that Extinction Rebellion had engaged in a series of events of dubious legality to mark Earth Day. Among them included acts of vandalism on a Tesla dealership and a disruption of a performance by the New York City Ballet.

Blaze News reached out to a representative of the group, who plans to host a training session "to learn how XR NYC is confronting the breakdown of democracy and the destruction fueled by Big Oil" on Wednesday evening. Our message was not returned.

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The Kennedy assassination isn’t history — it’s a warning



Ben Shapiro recently asked, “Does it really matter who shot John F. Kennedy?” My answer is “yes and no.” If the question concerns whether finding out who shot Kennedy is the most pressing issue facing our country, I concur with Shapiro that the answer is clearly “no.”

But the release of 80,000 previously unseen documents isn’t just about who killed JFK. It’s about a long-standing pattern of deception, manipulation, and lawlessness from the highest levels of government — and that is one of the most pressing issues facing our country today.

The moment we stop asking questions is the moment when bad actors within our institutions know they can get away with corruption.

For over 60 years, the official narrative surrounding Kennedy’s assassination has been that Lee Harvey Oswald pulled off a near-impossible series of shots. The improbability of his success is heightened by puzzling facts, such as KGB reports that Oswald was a horrible marksman coupled with his subpar rifle.

This is the story we’ve been told to accept without question. But what we now know raises deeply troubling questions about what really happened and, more importantly, why the government is so determined to keep the whole truth from us.

Cracks in the narrative

The recent document release didn’t give us a smoking gun, but it did confirm a pattern of CIA malfeasance that should alarm every American.

We now have solid evidence that the CIA was running illegal domestic espionage operations — including spying on Barry Goldwater, the Republican presidential nominee in 1964. If the intelligence agencies were willing to illegally surveil a major political figure back then, what do you think they’re capable of now?

The unchecked power of our intelligence agencies did not begin or end with the Kennedy assassination — it is a systemic issue that continues to this day.

For decades, the intelligence community has fought transparency at every turn. Each time a president promises to release the complete JFK files, the CIA steps in to block key documents.

The most recent example came under President Biden, when CIA Director William Burns personally urged the White House to keep certain records classified. Burns, notably, was one of several government officials who met with Jeffrey Epstein — three times.

The same agency now citing “national security” concerns over files from the 1960s is the same one tied to Epstein. That connection alone should raise serious questions for every American.

Corruption beyond JFK

This pattern of deception extends far beyond the Kennedy assassination.

We’ve seen it in Benghazi, where Americans died, and the truth was buried under bureaucratic stonewalling. We saw it in the aftermath of 9/11, when former FBI agents alleged that the CIA was running an illegal domestic spy ring and even attempted to recruit two of the hijackers before the attack. And we’ve seen it in the blatant weaponization of intelligence agencies against political opponents — from the Russia collusion hoax to the unprecedented persecution of a sitting and former president.

In recent memory, critical evidence regarding the truth of what happened on January 6 — including text messages from Kamala Harris’ Secret Service detail — mysteriously disappeared. Or COVID-19, where intelligence agencies, including Britain’s MI6, have now admitted it was "beyond reasonable doubt" that the virus was engineered in the Wuhan Institute of Virology. And yet for years, anyone who dared suggest such a possibility was smeared as a conspiracy theorist.

Always ask questions

Asking questions — whether it be about JFK’s assassination, Benghazi, COVID-19, or any other “conspiracy theory” — is critical. The moment we stop is the moment when bad actors within our institutions know they can get away with corruption. Rebuilding trust in our institutions begins with asking the right questions and identifying the infection to provide the proper remedy.

The intelligence community has operated with impunity for decades because we, the American people, have been conditioned to accept its narratives without question. The JFK files are not just about a 62-year-old assassination; they are a case study in how deep-state corruption endures and evolves.

If the CIA had nothing to hide, why is the agency still hiding it?

We need to rebuild trust in our institutions — not through blind faith but through real accountability.

America’s founders didn’t place their trust in government officials. They trusted the system of checks and balances designed to limit power. Those safeguards have eroded, but they can be restored.

We don’t need to believe in bureaucrats. We need a system that exposes the truth, prosecutes wrongdoing, and applies justice equally. Until that happens, public distrust will grow — and for good reason.

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Gunman allegedly brandishes weapon near White House — until Secret Service intervenes



Secret Service agents shot a man they say was brandishing a weapon near the White House over the weekend, threatening to harm himself and others.

Sometime on Saturday, D.C. Metropolitan police received a report from police in North Manchester, Indiana, claiming that an armed 27-year-old man was headed to the D.C. area with perhaps bad intentions. The report indicated that the man was emotionally disturbed and may have been looking to commit suicide by cop.

Secret Service then found the car belonging to the "suicidal individual" and spotted someone who matched his description lurking near the White House, Secret Service chief of communications Anthony Guglielmi said.

President Donald Trump was not in any immediate danger from the gunman or shooting.

Officers then tracked the man down on foot near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, located about a block from the White House. Around midnight on Sunday, the situation escalated considerably when the suspect reportedly pointed a gun at himself and then at the officers. He also allegedly ignored multiple commands to drop the weapon, forcing Secret Service agents to take action and discharge their weapons.

"As officers approached, the individual brandished a firearm and an armed confrontation ensued, during which shots were fired by our personnel," Guglielmi said in a statement.

The suspect was wounded in the shooting and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The man's current condition is unknown. A rifle was also reportedly discovered in his parked vehicle.

Thankfully, no officers were injured in the incident. The Secret Service has not confirmed how many shots were fired or the names of the officers involved. The name of the suspect likewise has not been released.

Metro police confirmed that internal affairs officers, who are normally assigned to investigate officer-involved shootings, are continuing to investigate the incident. The department declined to give further comment, Reuters reported.

President Donald Trump was not in any immediate danger from the gunman or shooting, as he spent the weekend at Mar-a-Lago in Florida and did not return to the White House until Sunday evening. However, he narrowly escaped death last July when a gunman opened fire during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Bullets from that shooting grazed Trump's ear, seriously wounded two attendees, and killed former fire chief Corey Comperatore.

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Harris Faulkner Calls MSNBC Host, Dems Heartless After Reaction To Child Becoming Honorary Secret Service Agent

'What is she looking at right now?'

Democrats protest while Trump makes dream come true for boy with brain cancer



President Donald Trump noted Tuesday in his first address to Congress in five years that "this is a time for big dreams and bold action." Trump demonstrated that he was neither speaking figuratively nor amenable to delay, making a number of Americans' dreams come true before the end of his speech.

After honoring fallen New York police officer Jonathan Diller and asking Congress to pass legislation mandating the death penalty for cop killers, Trump directed everyone's attention to Devarjaye "DJ" Daniel, a terminally ill Texas boy in the audience who has long aspired to join law enforcement.

"Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police," said Trump. "His name is DJ Daniel, he is 13 years old, and he has always dreamed of becoming a police officer."

In 2018, Daniel was diagnosed with brain and spine cancer. The Texan, then just 6 years old, was given five months to live. Daniel has undergone at least 13 brain surgeries and kept up the fight in the years since, defying all expectation.

Over the course of his battle with cancer, Daniel has been sworn in to hundreds of police departments across the country as an honorary officer.

Theodis Daniel told CBS News after his son was made an honorary Chicago police officer in 2023, "He had five months to live, and he's been fighting it, but these law enforcement ceremonies have been helping him out."

'You never know when God's going to call you home.'

Republicans and others erupted into thunderous applause as Theodis Daniel raised his son, dressed in a Houston Police Department uniform, above his head for all to see following Trump's introduction.

After noting Daniel has outlived his prognosis by six years, Trump said, "DJ has been sworn in as an honorary law enforcement officer, actually a number of times. The police love him. The police departments love him. And tonight, DJ, we are going to do you the biggest honor of them all."

"I am asking our new Secret Service director, Sean Curran, to officially make you an agent of the United States Secret Service," said Trump, prompting the boy's eyes to widen with surprise and the crowd to chant "DJ! DJ! DJ!"

U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran, among the agents who rushed to protect Trump during the July 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, handed Daniel a USSS badge.

After displaying his new badge to the misty-eyed audience, Daniel threw his arms around Curran — a hug that was reciprocated by the smiling director.

— (@)  
 

Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) and most other Democrats remained seated. One of the only Democrats who expressed any modicum of support for Trump's gesture was reportedly New York Rep. Laura Gillen, who actually stood up to applaud Daniel's admission to the Secret Service.

Daniel said in a video shared by the White House, "I'm going to keep on going until my gas tanks run out, and that's when God calls you home. You never know when God's going to call you home."

— (@)  
 

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