The near assassination of Donald Trump on July 13 at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, serves as a chilling reminder of the dangers in today’s political landscape. A 20-year-old shooter breached the Secret Service’s security perimeter with a rifle, firing multiple rounds from an elevated position just 150 yards from the stage. Trump sustained a superficial wound to his right ear, and tragically, an attendee was killed. Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle called it “the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades.”

Questions surrounding the incident continue to grow. One of the most glaring concerns is the behavior of multiple Secret Service agents, who appeared overwhelmed by the situation. They struggled with basic tasks, such as handling and holstering their service weapons. This incident has intensified scrutiny of federal law enforcement hiring practices, but Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas dismissed these concerns as “baseless and insulting.”

The Secret Service’s poor performance after the attack on Trump underscores that public safety is not the place for social experimentation.

The Secret Service agents’ conduct on July 13 is the troubling result of a new initiative spreading throughout American law enforcement: the 30x30 Initiative.

According to its website, the 30x30 Initiative aims to “advance the representation and experiences of women in policing agencies across the United States.” The program seeks to “increase the representation of women in police recruit classes to 30% by 2030 and ensure police policies and culture support the success of qualified women officers throughout their careers.” In 2022, the U.S. Marshals Service became the 200th agency to sign the 30x30 pledge, and the Justice Department announced its collaboration with the initiative.

All outward appearances indicate the 30x30 Initiative is another example of leftist, woke ideology worshiping at the secular altar of diversity, equity, and inclusion. However, a closer look at the principles and goals behind the initiative reveals a more insidious intent. If left unchecked, it could erode America’s ability to ensure public safety, advancing a cultural Marxist agenda under the guise of “female empowerment.”

The 30x30 Initiative’s website offers resources and summaries explaining its agenda. One document, titled “What Works: The Social Science Research Behind Advancing Women in Policing, Recruitment & Assessment,” states that “policing is a traditionally male-dominated profession, and even today, white, heterosexual men comprise the majority of law enforcement.” It also describes a “culture of homophobia” and criticizes how sexual and racial minority officers must conform to “performative heterosexuality or masculinity.” Additionally, the pamphlet claims that “white culture is a source of decreased retention for women officers.”

Another document, “What Works: The Social Science Research Behind Advancing Women in Policing, Retention & Culture,” critiques police physical fitness tests, arguing that they “advantage younger and male recruits by emphasizing upper-body strength.” It further claims that “minority recruits are negatively impacted by ‘job knowledge’ tests due to deep-seated economic, social, and educational inequality.” Finally, the document states that “female officers are subject to restrictive policies regulating the exact lengths of their hair and banning makeup and other accessories.”

A quick look at these claims might lead a casual observer to dismiss the 30x30 Initiative as misguided, woke dogma. However, a deeper analysis reveals a more radical agenda.

American policing has historically been a male-dominated field because of the nature of the work. The job involves irregular hours and heightened physical danger and requires participants to be willing and able to use force. Biology equips men with the psychological predisposition and physical strength to handle these demands.

Dress codes are common in every workplace. In law enforcement, uniform and grooming standards promote safety, as long hair can become a liability during use-of-force situations. Additionally, the pressure to conform to workplace culture exists across all industries and is one of the main reasons employees leave jobs within their first year.

Law enforcement demands significant physicality. While handling a combative arrestee or chasing a fleeing suspect may make up a small portion of a police officer’s day, officers must always be prepared and capable of performing these tasks. Professional baseball players are expected to hit pitches traveling over 90 miles per hour. Although the total time spent reacting to pitches in a game is only a few seconds, a player who can’t hit the ball hurts the team.

The stakes are higher for police officers. Reduced physical and job-knowledge standards jeopardize the lives of fellow officers and citizens when officers lack the strength, stamina, and expertise necessary to perform their duties adequately.

There’s also the issue of the 30x30 Initiative’s desire to eliminate “white culture.” In 2020, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture released — and quickly retracted — a chart listing characteristics of “white culture.” The list included self-reliance, objective thinking, hard work, respect for authority, delayed gratification, rigid time schedules, politeness, and adherence to English common law. It’s absurd to attribute these qualities to a particular race, yet all are essential for effective law enforcement.

The failed attempt on Donald Trump’s life on July 13 should be remembered as an infamous date in American history. As the country grapples with unanswered questions surrounding the events of that day, one issue should be settled: Whether driven by a misguided commitment to diversity or Marxist ideologies, the federal government’s embrace of the 30x30 Initiative is a dangerous mistake. The Secret Service’s poor performance after the attack underscores that public safety is not the place for social experimentation.

If Donald Trump returns to office, he could safeguard his own well-being — and that of the American people — by withdrawing the federal government from the 30x30 Initiative and refocusing federal law enforcement on public safety rather than radical gender and racial identity politics.