Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak Wednesday in Pennsylvania, about 200 miles from the site of an assassination attempt earlier this month, and experts told Fox News Digital that security measures will be “stepped up” given the scrutiny the US Secret Service faces and the possibility of “copycat” killers.
“There’s an expression: ‘copycats.’ They say, ‘Look at the attention. [would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks] “They say, ‘We want attention,’ and then they say, ‘We want attention,'” Kevin Malloy, a former State Department special agent, told Fox News Digital.
“I’m sure the Secret Service is stepping up their investigation because they’re worried there might be copycats. He came so close to ultimate success so easily. Maybe I can do something,” he continued.
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Former President Trump survived an assassination attempt while at a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13. (Trump Campaign/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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According to its website, the Republican candidate is scheduled to speak at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg, which has more than 1 million square feet of indoor floor space.
Trump returns to Pennsylvania for first time since assassination attempt
On July 20, 2024, more than 12,000 people gathered at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to watch the first joint rally of former President Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance. It was Trump’s first since surviving an assassination attempt and being shot. (Fox News Digital/Brandon Gillespie)
Pennsylvania State Police and U.S. Capitol Police will assist the Secret Service in securing the venue, state police told Fox News Digital, while local Harrisburg police will be in charge of traffic control around the venue.
“You would think so. [an indoor venue] “It would be easier to ensure security,” said Malloy, who has defended former Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and former Secretary of State John Kerry, “but the size of the crowds that would be pushing into that space, especially after Butler’s event, could raise its own concerns about visibility.”
Malloy said security inspections of the stadium have likely already been conducted or are currently being conducted to identify potential security vulnerabilities or areas where weapons or explosives might be hidden.
“We’ve already seen big changes. [Trump’s] “There was security at the Republican National Convention, and we’ll see the same at the rallies,” Petrino said. “There will be more distance between Trump and the crowd, and a wider corridor as he approaches the stage. I’d be surprised if there weren’t drones monitoring from above, multiple sniper teams monitoring from multiple angles, and maybe even police dogs.”
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Crowds at a rally for former President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania (Fox News)
“I don’t think he’s going to spend a lot of time on and off stage,” Petrino added.
Malloy said arrival and departure times at a venue are “one of the most vulnerable times for those being protected” because timing and movements are predictable.
“You need to consider underground parking instead of the main entrance, a back entrance or a side entrance, a view from the back or side,” Malloy said. “If that’s not possible, you need to tent the area to block the view.”
Malloy said the venue’s catwalks, balconies and booths could provide ideal vantage points for an active shooter, and that “access to these areas should be controlled.” He said the maintenance catwalks would make ideal positions for Secret Service counter snipers.
He also said an evacuation strategy had been drawn up for the former president and a motorcade had been prepared outside in case of any new assassination attempts.
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Thousands of people took to the streets of Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20, 2024, for the first rally since the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. (Fox News Digital/Brandon Gillespie)
Malloy said Butler’s close call was caused by “incompetence and carelessness” within the Secret Service, but he has since said:[seen] Lessons learned from the Butler case.”
“Their pride was not only hurt, it was crushed,” Malloy said of the Secret Service. “They’re a professional agency by and large. Everybody stole a Secret Service security badge.”
“Whether it was individual incompetence, a series of individual incompetence, or widespread complacency, I don’t know the answer. Everybody’s trying to figure that out,” he continued.
