Following an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) suggested that the head of the Secret Service was to blame because she was a "DEI initiative person."

Burchett was flanked by two rifles on Sunday while he spoke to Fox News about the shooting of the former president. He argued that Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle was hired because of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.

"Somebody really dropped the ball," the lawmaker claimed. "You've got a DEI, basically a person, a DEI initiative person who heads up our Secret Service. You know, she was working at Pepsi before this."

"I know she was a former Secret Service agent," he admitted. "But still, this is what happens when you don't put the best players in."

Burchett called on the Republican-controlled House to suspend its rules and hold hearings immediately.

"We need to get to Washington, you know, to hell with the [Republican] convention," he said. "We've got to get, find out what went on, make sure that it never happens again."

Burchett also said Democrats had been "spewing this vitriol."

"I mean, comparing Trump to Hitler, just the all of it, it's, it's just, it is a manifestation of what they brought upon us," he insisted. "It is not the Republicans' fault."