The U.S. Secret Service revealed Thursday that the agency will use bulletproof glass to protect 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at outdoor rallies.
Trump was grazed in the ear by a bullet as he turned his head during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Since the attempted assassination, Secret Service approved it will use bulletproof glass to shield Trump from potential threats on stage, ABC News reported.
🚨 #BREAKING: The Secret Service has just APPROVED a new “security plan” that will allow President Trump to hold outdoor rallies again, per WaPo
One new measure is utilizing bulletproof glass to surround Trump while he’s speaking.
This is AWFUL news for the Harris campaign, as… pic.twitter.com/PH773yS6d0
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) August 15, 2024
Bulletproof glass is typically reserved for sitting presidents and vice presidents. The plan to surround Trump, a former president and 2024 presidential candidate, is considered a major enhancement in the Secret Service’s standard security, an anonymous Secret Service official told The Washington Post.
“Former presidents and candidates don’t normally get bulletproof glass or support from DOD,” the official told the outlet. “This glass needs to be brought in on trucks and vans.”
The Secret Service has already started preparing easily accessible sheets of bulletproof glass in various locations across the country for future Trump events, according to The Washington Post.
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 22: United States Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee during a hearing at the Rayburn House Office Building on July 22, 2024 in Washington, DC. The beleaguered leader of the United States Secret Service has vowed cooperation with all investigations into the agency following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Other technical security assets atypically used for presidential candidates will be added for Trump, a Secret Service official confirmed to the outlet, refusing to disclose these measures.
The Department of Defense and the Secret Service could give an extra layer of protection to Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, using bulletproof glass if deemed necessary, The Washington Post noted. (RELATED: ‘Doesn’t Know How To Talk’: Trump Rally-Goers Sound Off On Kamala Harris)
TOPSHOT – Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, 2024. Donald Trump was hit in the ear in an apparent assassination attempt by a gunman at a campaign rally on Saturday, in a chaotic and shocking incident that will fuel fears of instability ahead of the 2024 US presidential election.
The 78-year-old former president was rushed off stage with blood smeared across his face after the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, while the gunman and a bystander were killed and two spectators critically injured. (Photo by Rebecca DROKE / AFP) (Photo by REBECCA DROKE/AFP via Getty Images)
The Secret Service cautioned Trump against outdoor rallies prior to the agency’s announcement of enhanced protection. The Washington Post also added that the Secret Service prefers presidents — and vice presidents, like Harris — hold events indoors to reduce the need for bulletproof glass.
US Republican candidate Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. Trump was hit in the ear in an apparent assassination attempt by a gunman at a campaign rally on Saturday, in a chaotic and shocking incident that will fuel fears of instability ahead of the 2024 US presidential election. The 78-year-old former president was rushed off stage with blood smeared across his face after the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, while the gunman and a bystander were killed and two spectators critically injured. (Photo by Rebecca DROKE / AFP) / QUALITY REPEAT (Photo by REBECCA DROKE/AFP via Getty Images)
Since being shot in the head, Trump has held multiple indoor rallies, including in states like Michigan, North Carolina, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Montana. The GOP nominee is scheduled to hold another indoor rally Saturday at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
Former U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberley Cheatle resigned 10 days after Trump was shot amid scrutiny of how it handled major security lapses leading up to the assassination attempt. Cheatle initially refused to testify to the House Oversight Committee about the failures that lead to Thomas Matthew Crooks taking aim at Trump, resulting in her being subpoenaed.
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 22: United States Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle (C) departs the Rayburn House Office Building following her testifying before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on July 22, 2024 in Washington, DC. The beleaguered leader of the United States Secret Service has vowed cooperation with all investigations into the agency following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
Other incidents involving Secret Service have raised eyebrows, such as when a female agent reportedly abandoned her post at Trump’s North Carolina rally Wednesday to breastfeed a child.
In a separate incident, the Secret Service reportedly apologized to a Massachusetts hair salon owner after agents duct-taped her security camera and broke into her business to use as a bathroom for two hours during a fundraiser for Vice President Kamala Harris.