The Secret Service has advised former US President Donald Trump’s campaign to cease scheduling large outdoor rallies and other big crowd events due to safety concerns, The Washington Post reports. This directive follows a recent assassination attempt on the former President at an election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Secret Service officials, who are responsible for the security of US political leaders, expressed their worries about the risks associated with large outdoor gatherings. Despite these concerns, former President Donald Trump’s upcoming rallies are planned as indoor events.
The call for a halt to outdoor rallies comes in the wake of significant scrutiny of the Secret Service’s handling of security for former US President Donald Trump. On Tuesday, Kimberly Cheatle, the director of the Secret Service, resigned following criticism over the agency’s failure to prevent the assassination attempt. Cheatle’s resignation followed intense backlash and investigations by multiple congressional committees and the internal watchdog of the US Department of Homeland Security.
In her resignation email, Cheatle took “full responsibility” for the security lapse, stating, “In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director.” Cheatle described the incident as the Secret Service’s “most significant operational failure” in decades during a Congressional hearing.
In response to the assassination attempt, US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has appointed a bipartisan, independent panel to review the events surrounding the attack. The panel, consisting of members with extensive law enforcement and security experience, will conduct a 45-day independent review of the planning and actions taken by the Secret Service, state, and local authorities before, during, and after the rally, as well as evaluate the agency’s governing policies and procedures.
