The U.S. Secret Service has faced serious criticism lately, not only for failing to protect former President Trump from two recent assassination attempts but also for internal mishaps, including agents accidentally injuring themselves.
WUSA 9 reported today that a Secret Service agent accidentally discharged his weapon while on duty Saturday evening, injuring himself in the process.
The incident took place near 32nd and Fessenden Streets in northwest Washington, D.C., just before 8 p.m.
The agent was taken to a hospital for treatment and is expected to recover. The Secret Service has not provided further details and plans to investigate the event.
This incident comes on the heels of significant security breaches involving former President Trump.
Shots were fired at Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach last Sunday while he was playing with real estate investor Steve Witkoff.
The shooter, identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, reportedly fired through the fence line before Secret Service agents returned fire.
This was the second assassination attempt in recent months.
In June, a near-fatal incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, involved Thomas Crooks, a Democratic donor, who came within a centimeter of killing Trump.
These security failures have raised concerns about the leadership of the Secret Service, particularly under former director Kimberly Cheatle, who has been criticized for prioritizing diversity over qualifications when hiring agents.
Current acting director Ronald Rowe has also come under fire for not addressing these issues, with even Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) expressing alarm over the agency’s failures.
The recent accidental shooting by a Secret Service agent only heightens public concern about the agency’s ability to ensure the safety of high-profile figures like Trump.
Confidence in the agency is continuing to erode as these incidents pile up.
