WASHINGTON, Aug 21 —Donald Trump will hold a rally outdoors Wednesday in North Carolina, the former US president’s first open-air campaign event since he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt at an open-air appearance one month ago.
Security precautions are being boosted for the afternoon rally scheduled at an aviation museum in Asheboro, North Carolina, including the use of bulletproof glass surrounding the Republican nominee’s podium, US media reported, citing security and campaign personnel.
The Secret Service had recommended Trump stop holding outdoor events after the agency assigned to protect presidents and candidates failed to stop a gunman who fired at him from a rooftop at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, injuring Trump in the ear and leaving one person in the crowd dead.
Trump, who has held roughly a dozen indoor rallies since the shooting, has publicly stated he wants a return to open-air events. On July 31 he told supporters at an indoor arena in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that “we’re not giving up the outdoor rallies.”
Days earlier, the 78-year-old Trump posted on social media that he would continue to hold open-air events, “and the Secret Service has agreed to substantially step up their operation. They are very capable of doing so.”
The Secret Service does not normally comment publicly on security operations and did not respond to requests for confirmation of the use of bulletproof glass and other ramped up security tactics.
The protective detail is planning for Trump to speak from behind a special see-through protective glass barrier before thousands of rally attendees in Asheboro, the Washington Examiner reported Tuesday, citing a source with firsthand knowledge of the security measures.
The glass is similar to that used in the presidential limousine, which is also designed to protect occupants from a shooting, the newspaper said.
Trump’s rally in Asheboro is a form of counter-programming. It comes on Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where security officials have set up a ring of steel around the gathering that formally names
Kamala Harris as the party’s 2024 presidential nominee, after President Joe Biden exited the race.
Security was also airtight at last month’s Republican National Convention, which took place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin just days after the assassination attempt.
Trump is scheduled to take the stage at the North Carolina Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame, along with his running mate Senate J.D. Vance. The museum has posted photographs of bleachers set up to accommodate thousands of guests, and its Facebook account relays guest instructions from the Trump-Vance campaign stating “this event will be outdoors.”
The southern state of North Carolina is considered one of a handful of swing states that are expected to determine the outcome of the November 5 election. — AFP
