Former President Donald Trump held his first outdoor rally since the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, with a bulletproof glass barrier protecting him at a podium in Asheboro, North Carolina.
The rally came on the same day that a bipartisan congressional task force investigating the July 13 shooting is scheduled to meet with the FBI about the agency’s investigation into the deadly shooting.
Wednesday’s rally was held between hangars at the North Carolina Aviation Museum, and 2,500 people were expected to attend, although the Trump campaign described it as a “messaging event.”
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Former President Donald Trump campaigns in North Carolina behind bulletproof glass (left) as an anti-sniper keeps a watchful eye on the campaign (right). (Reuters/Jonathan Drake)
The Secret Service has a large presence at the venue and, in light of Trump’s near-death experience last month, decided to protect the rally’s stage with clear glass.
Trump invited police officers onto the stage, then emerged from behind glass to check on anyone in the crowd who appeared to need a medical emergency, while a team of Secret Service agents watched his every move.
Mobile storage units and moving trucks were positioned behind media risers to protect speakers, and experts say indoor events are generally easier to secure.
Members of the security forces stand guard during a campaign rally held by former President Donald Trump at Asheboro Regional Airport in Asheboro, North Carolina, on August 21, 2024. (Reuters/Jonathan Drake)
The same goes for President Trump and the Republican senator who is his running mate. J.D. Vance, He spoke at a rally to discuss national security, highlighting the Biden-Harris administration’s failure to withdraw from Afghanistan and the situation in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, a bipartisan congressional task force investigating the July 13 shooting is scheduled to meet remotely with the FBI on Wednesday.
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Rep. Michael Walz (R-Fla.) said at a press conference Wednesday that the task force was still investigating the background of the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks.
“There’s a lot we don’t know yet. There’s a lot we don’t know yet about the overseas accounts. If I understand correctly, we know those accounts were in Belgium, New Zealand and Germany,” Waltz said.
“why [Crooks] Why would we want an encryption platform based overseas, not in the United States, where most terrorist organizations know it would be difficult for U.S. law enforcement to penetrate? “That’s a question I’ve had from day one.”
Walz called on the FBI and Secret Service to be more proactive in updating lawmakers on developments in the case.
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Security guards are stationed on a rooftop before former Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Asheboro, North Carolina, on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. Wednesday’s rally will be the first outdoor rally Trump has held since the assassination attempt on the former president. (AP Photo/Julia Nickinson)
“This is not an isolated incident and they need to release information as soon as they have it.”
“From the task force’s perspective, the FBI and the Secret Service [former Director Kimberly] “Mr. Cheatle, I cannot tell you that I’m not going to say anything until we’ve conducted a thorough investigation that will take months,” Waltz said.
“We have to learn as we go along. What really frustrates me is that the people in charge of what is clearly a horribly, ridiculously flawed security plan have not even been suspended. They are still in charge of security operations as we speak, and that worries me greatly.”
