Secret Service Comes Up With a New Plan to Keep Donald Trump Safe in Outdoor Rallies

The Secret Service came under intense scrutiny after the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump on July 13, at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Following an extensive inquiry by Congress, Kimberly Cheatle, the director of the agency, resigned after acknowledging lapses. According to ABC News, in light of the same, the organization has authorized a new protocol that permits Trump to have bulletproof glass encircling his platform at his outdoor rallies. By approving this security measure the Secret Service is deviating from the custom of using it only for the sitting president. 

On July 31, speaking at an indoor arena in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the Republican leader stated his desire to have public rallies in outdoor settings. "They'd prefer that we be in an arena. I don't know why. But we're not giving up the outdoor rallies. You know, all those people that we had to turn away today, at an outdoor rally you can have." According to the sources, Trump's protective detail plans to place ballistic glass on three sides, although it's not unknown when that would begin. 

"The Secret Service's use of UpArmored glass around former President Trump is another step to ensure the campaign is and remains secure," Don Mihalek, a retired senior Secret Service agent and ABC contributor, stated. "This isn't just a piece of glass but a large, bulky, and heavy armored glass that will require extensive logistics capability, normally reserved for large-scale outdoor events." A military cargo jet is used to transport the bulletproof glass. Insiders disclosed that in Trump's case, the Secret Service is directing the storage of many sets across the nation so they can be transported to any location.

As per NBC News, a Secret Service official stated that the agency is also stepping up on staffing and technological investments to defend Trump from potential life risks during outdoor rallies. Additionally, threat analysis and prevention are being prioritized for all protective details, including the use of counter-snipers and counter-surveillance. The organization is also working with the Department of Homeland Security to set up a group to investigate the possibility of creating a uniform line of communication permanently.

This would facilitate radio contact between the Secret Service, federal law enforcement authorities, and state and local police officials, as reported by CBS News. Leading the group will be Heather Fong, who is the acting assistant secretary for the Office for State & Local Law Enforcement and senior counselor for law enforcement for DHS Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas. The panel is being put together with help from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The agency acknowledged that on July 13, while local law enforcement chased the perpetrator minutes before the attack, communication issues prevented vital information from reaching the Secret Service.