Saturday (July 20) will mark the first time Republican nominee Donald Trump will be on the campaign trail since he was shot at in Butler, Pennsylvania during a rally on July 13 (Saturday). Trump, along with his newly picked running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, will address a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan. With the shooting still looming large in the background, security around the rally remains a highly scrutinised affair.
As expected, amid the flak the Secret Service is facing after the security breach at the Butler rally, there has been added preparation for the rally in Grand, Rapids today. The Washington Post reported citing people familiar with the event that it has been moved to an indoor area, as it is easier to secure such a place. They added that the Trump campaign has decided against outdoor rallies, at least for the foreseeable future, and the 78-year-old is expected to address supporters on the campaign trail only in indoor venues now.
Meanwhile, the report said that the Secret Service has asked for additional forces from local law enforcement to secure the rally. Per Kent County Undersheriff Bryan Muir, the Sheriff’s Office got a “last-minute” request for additional forces to assist them with securing the arena.
Also read:Joe Biden Pushes Back At Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi: ‘You Gave Us Donald Trump’
Muir, who was speaking at a commissioners’ meeting, said that the office planned to send between 50-60 officers to the venue. Although Muir did not reveal who the request came from, the report cited a spokesperson of the department who said that it was from the Secret Service. Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the Grand Rapids Police Department confirmed that they are working with federal agencies to secure the venue of the rally.
As the investigation into the shooting at Trump’s Butler, California rally went deeper, several allegations of mismanagement against the Secret Service surfaced, especially from supporters of the former president.
Also read: Biden Likely To Bow Out Of 2024 Race, 44% Voters Say in New Poll
The Secret Service revealed during a Senate hearing after the shooting that they did not place agency snipers on the roof from where the shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, shot at Trump and other rally attendees. The agency said that the roof was slanted and snipers were not placed there because it was considered dangerous for agents.
Meanwhile, the District Attorney of Butler County revealed that Butler County PD had told the Secret Service about a shortage of manpower to secure the building where the shooter was.
