When Donald Trump travelled to the UK for a visit last week, all eyes were on the president, and all hands on deck to point out any and every mistake he made. The president's enemies did just that, stepping in to mock him when he was met by city-wide protests, when he made the Queen wait 12 minutes for tea and when he gave a controversial interview with a British newspaper where he revealed that he believed one of Prime Minister Theresa May's rivals would make a great PM.
However, it recently came to light that the president's antics in the UK were overshadowed with tragedy. During Trump's time in Scotland, a US secret service agent suffered a stroke and later died on Tuesday morning despite receiving "critical care" from medics.
In a statement, the US secret service confirmed the death "with great sadness and regret" and described the unidentified man - who had worked for them for 19 years - as a "dedicated professional of the highest order".
"On July 15, 2018, a U.S. Secret Service Special Agent suffered a severe cerebrovascular accident in Scotland where he was traveling in support of Presidential Protection," they wrote. "It is with great sadness and regret to report that the agent, a 19-year Secret Service veteran and dedicated professional of the highest order, passed early this morning on July 17, 2018, in Scotland. At the time of his passing, he was surrounded by members of his immediate family and his extended Secret Service family.
The statement continued: "The agent’s name is intentionally being withheld to respect the family’s privacy and allow time to complete personnel and family notifications. We ask for your patience as we work to support the agent’s family and co-workers following this loss of a dedicated career public servant. Finally, the Secret Service thanks the medical personnel in Scotland, in addition to the members of the White House Medical Unit and Police Scotland who provided exceptional care and support for a member of our family."
The US president and his wife Melania had been in Scotland for a private weekend visit, which saw them stay at Mr Trump's Turnberry hotel on the Ayrshire coast. Their visit was plagued by protests from residents, with thousands gathering to express their displeasure, and a 55-year-old power paraglider was arrested after being accused of flying into a no-fly zone set up to protect Trump trailing a banner that read "Trump: well below par".
"The procurator fiscal at Ayr received a report concerning a 55-year-old man and an alleged incident on Friday 13 July," a Crown Office spokesman stated about the paragliding incident. "He was liberated from custody pending further inquiries and did not appear in court."
The Secret Service has about 3,200 active agents and reportedly lists 36 who have died since 1902 on its "Wall of Honor." The unidentified agent's death was the first for the since Christopher Smith, who tragically died of a heart attack in 2005.
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