Following the assassination attempt on former President Trump, the Secret Service has advised the Trump campaign not to schedule any future outdoor rallies.
Since the July 13 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, Secret Service agents have communicated concerns to Trump’s campaign advisers about large outdoor events involving Trump and urged them not to hold outdoor rallies for the 78-year-old Republican presidential candidate, according to the Secret Service. The Washington Post.
The outlet said the Trump campaign is listening to the agency’s concerns and is looking for indoor venues for future rallies, but is not currently planning any large outdoor events.
The campaign’s next two events will be held at a multi-purpose arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a hockey arena in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
The former president’s first indoor rally since the assassination attempt on him was held Saturday in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which left one rally-goer dead and two seriously injured, with his ears bleeding.
Trump has held dozens of large outdoor rallies since announcing his 2024 presidential bid and hundreds since his first presidential campaign in 2016, with airports, fairgrounds and parks frequently used as venues for campaign activities.
The two rallies immediately prior to the shootings were outdoor gatherings on golf courses in Chesapeake, Virginia, and Doral, Florida.
The events regularly attract thousands of ardent supporters of the Republican candidate and typically feature a host of high-profile speakers before Trump speaks.
What we know about the attempted assassination of President Trump
- 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks has been identified as the shooter who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
- Crooks was shot and killed by a Secret Service agent.
- The gunman grazed President Trump’s ear, killed a 50-year-old former fire chief and wounded two other people at the rally.
- Investigators detailed Crooks’ search history to lawmakers, revealing that he sought out dates for speeches by President Trump and the Democratic National Convention.
- FBI officials said the criminal’s search history also revealed a broad interest in famous people and celebrities, regardless of political affiliation.
- “I was supposed to be dead,” Trump told The Washington Post exclusively at the rally, describing how he survived the “surreal” assassination attempt.
- Prominent politicians, including President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, addressed the nation about the shooting, calling it a “heinous, horrific and despicable act.”
Earlier this summer, Trump’s rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, drew an estimated crowd of 80,000 to 100,000 people, a record for a political rally in the state.
While indoor rallies are more expensive to host, they are inherently safer because they have limited entrances and exits and fewer visibility issues, Trump campaign officials told The Washington Post.
The man who attempted to assassinate President Trump, Thomas Matthew Crooks (20), was lying on a rooftop just 130 yards from the presidential candidate when he opened fire.
Here is the latest on the assassination attempt against Donald Trump:
Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on Tuesday after facing criticism from both sides of the political aisle for the agency’s failure to adequately protect President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
In the two years before the assassination attempt, Secret Service officials had repeatedly refused Trump’s requests for additional security, citing a lack of resources.
The Secret Service and the Trump campaign did not respond to The Washington Post’s requests for comment.
