Secret Service steers Trump campaign away from outdoor rallies
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Republican candidate former President Trump in the aftermath of the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally shooting on July 13. Photo: Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images
The U.S. Secret Service is encouraging former President Trump not to hold large outdoor rallies in some instances following the assassination attempt on the Republican presidential nominee, the Washington Post first reported Tuesday and Axios can confirm.
Why it matters: It's signature Trump to hold large outdoor rallies, per a source, who emphasized that this didn't mean he wouldn't hold another big-crowd event outside. But the shift to deciding on a case-by-case basis whether to hold an event indoors or outdoors is part of increased security measures following the Pennsylvania rally shooting.
- It underscores how seriously both the Trump campaign and the USSS are taking security after the July 13 shooting that led to U.S. Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle resigning on Tuesday following blistering criticism and mounting bipartisan calls to do so over the incident.
- There are no outdoor events scheduled for the coming days and Trump's team is now looking for suitable indoor venues that can accommodate the large crowds that Trump typically draws, per WaPo.
Zoom in: The USSS and Trump's team have been holding conversations on how they would move forward if they were to hold outdoor events, according to the source.
- The approach to planning for a Trump event has shifted following the shooting. Some events prior to the shooting went ahead despite Trump campaign requests for extra assets, such as specialized dogs, being turned down.
- The campaign had stood down events in the past after being denied assets from the Secret Service, but the source said the USSS has not denied any request since the assassination attempt.
- It's now the Trump team's preference not to hold open-air rallies if possible, but the source notes that there are certain times when it's still best to hold an event outdoors.
What they're saying: Trump told Newsmax in a Tuesday interview in which he called Cheatle's resignation "inevitable" that his team had asked the USSS for more security assistance before the shooting.
- "Now, they have really beefed it up; they should have beefed it up before," Trump said.
- "We have crowds of 40-50,000, 60,000 people. In New Jersey, we had 107,000 people, and when you have crowds like that, you need more people for the crowd — forget about me — and for me, too, as president, for any president," he added.
- "But you have to have more people. And I know that our people have been asking for more people consistently and not getting them."
- Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said in an emailed statement that the campaign did not comment on the former president's security detail and directed all questions to the Secret Service, which did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.
Go deeper: Trump security increased before shooting due to unrelated Iran threat
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from former President Trump and Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung.
