In response to last week’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, the U.S. Secret Service is “encouraging” the 2024 GOP nominee to halt his massive rallies due to safety concerns. The agency prefers that he avoid large outdoor events and instead opt for smaller indoor venues, as reported by The Federalist. This request has sparked controversy, with some critics accusing the Secret Service of election interference and others labeling it as a threat.
The Washington Post first broke the news about the Secret Service’s concerns over Trump’s large outdoor rallies. According to their sources, agents communicated their apprehensions regarding future events to Trump campaign advisers. Despite the concerns, no large outdoor events are currently being planned by the campaign. Instead, officials are considering large indoor venues.
House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer believes it would be a shame if the federal protective agency managed to convince Trump’s campaign to end their outdoor rallies. He expressed support for these events, stating that people enjoy attending them and that more attendees can gather outdoors than indoors. Ultimately, he believes Trump will make his own decision regarding rally locations.
Others have shared more direct opinions on the matter. Senator Mike Lee criticized the Secret Service’s request as embarrassing, while a Twitter user under the handle “End Wokeness” called for better security efforts rather than limiting Trump’s rallies. Federalist CEO Sean Davis accused the Secret Service of making a threat against Trump in response to his unwillingness to cease rallying.
The Washington Post’s coverage on this issue emphasized the burden that Trump’s outdoor rallies have placed on the Secret Service, which has consistently failed in its mission to protect him. The publication’s narrative suggests that Trump and his rallies are responsible for the assassination attempt. The Post’s Josh Dawsey highlighted the difficulties of securing large outdoor events with thousands or even tens of thousands of attendees, noting that most former presidents rarely appear in public settings.
However, Trump is not just a former president attending social gatherings; he is the GOP’s current presidential candidate. As such, his preference for large crowds serves as an essential source of energy and comfort for him, according to Sarah Matthews, who served as deputy press secretary in the Trump White House.
In light of these events, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned her position after being grilled by members of both parties during a raucous House hearing. The questioning focused on the agency’s failure to protect Trump when personnel on the ground appeared to have detected and identified shooter Thomas Crooks at least an hour before he climbed onto an unguarded rooftop some 130 yards away from Trump and opened fire.
