The Secret Service approved a new security plan to protect former president Trump at outdoor campaign events, including the use of bulletproof glass to shield him onstage, the Washington Post reports. The effort comes after the Secret Service urged the Trump campaign to pause having Trump appear at outdoor rallies, after a gunman fired multiple shots at the Republican nominee at an outdoor fairgrounds in Butler, Pa., on July 13. Trump was wounded and has not appeared at an outdoor campaign event since the attempted assassination, the Secret Service’s most serious security failure since John Hinckley was able to shoot and nearly kill President Ronald Reagan outside a Washington, D.C., hotel four decades ago.
The plan to erect bulletproof glass to surround Trump at outdoor events is a major enhancement in the Secret Service’s standard security planning for candidate campaign events. Such sheets of ballistic glass are normally provided for presidents and for vice presidents when deemed necessary at outdoor appearances, an extra layer of security organized and coordinated by the Department of Defense to shield the nation’s top two leaders. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee challenging Trump, would be given such protection if warranted. The Secret Service generally prefers indoor events for presidents and vice presidents, reducing the need for such glass. “Former presidents and candidates don’t normally get bulletproof glass or support from DOD,” an official said. “This glass needs to be brought in on trucks and vans.” The Secret Service will be adding other technical security assets that have not normally been provided for presidential candidates. This could include the use of drones.
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