U.S. Secret Service prepares to use bulletproof glass for Trump street rallies - media outlet
Kyiv • UNN
The U.S. Secret Service plans to surround Trump's podium with bulletproof glass at street rallies. This is an unprecedented security measure for the former president after a recent assassination attempt.
The U.S. Secret Service is taking measures for the resumption of former President Donald Trump street campaign rallies, surrounding his podium with bulletproof glass. Multiple sources told ABC News, reports UNN.
The media outlet notes that the measure is usually reserved for sitting presidents, but the Secret Service is making an exception after the first attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate since Robert Kennedy in 1968.
The Secret Service declined to comment on its use of ballistic glass.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said the campaign does not comment on Trump-related security measures.
The Secret Service recommended that Trump stop holding street rallies last month after a gunman in Butler, Pennsylvania, shot at him from a rooftop 400 feet from the stage, injuring his ear. A man in the crowd died in the attack.
Since July 13, Trump has held about a dozen campaign events, all of them indoors.
Sources said Trump privately expressed a desire to campaign outdoors and sought assurances that it would be safe.
At a rally at an indoor arena in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on July 31, Trump praised the size of the venue and then told the crowd: "They would rather have us in the arena. I don't know why. But we're not giving up street rallies. You know, all those people that we had to turn down today can be at a street rally.
Sources say Trump's security detail is preparing for glass panels to surround him on three sides, though it's unclear when that will begin.
“The Secret Service's use of UpArmored glass around former President Trump is another step toward securing the campaign,” Don Michalek, a retired senior Secret Service agent, told ABC News correspondent Don Michalek. “This is not just a piece of glass, but large, bulky and heavy armored glass that will require extensive logistical capabilities normally reserved for large-scale street events.
Normally, ballistic glass is transported aboard a military cargo plane. In Trump's case, the Secret Service is ordering storage of several sets around the country so they can be delivered wherever they are needed, sources said.
Former Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle stepped up security for Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris and their partners after the Butler shooting. Other protected individuals, such as Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, have also received increased protection, sources said.
