By EFE
15 Jul 2024, 13:14 PM EDT
The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump has raised concerns about the security of the Republican National Convention (RNC) that kicks off on Monday and where the Republican tycoon’s candidacy for the White House will be made official.
Current President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he has ordered the Secret Service to review all security protocols ahead of the convention, which will take place between Monday and Thursday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
A day before the big Republican Party event was set to begin, the city center was already sealed off, with several streets closed and dozens of security agents patrolling the areas surrounding the convention center.
Trump himself confirmed on Sunday that his plans to appear before his party’s delegates this week will not be affected by the assassination attempt he suffered on Saturday at an election rally.
“I love our country, I love you all, and I look forward to speaking to our great nation this week from Wisconsin,” the New York tycoon said in a message on the social network Truth.
According to the city’s mayor, the Milwaukee Police Department, Fire Department and emergency services are working “closely” with the Secret Service “to keep residents, businesses and visitors safe.”
A senior federal government official told ABC News that security plans for the convention are being reexamined in light of the incident and a determination will be made as to whether any changes are necessary.
Another source told CBS News that the plan is to expand the security perimeter and install more buffer zones around the convention center to control traffic.
The situation is worrying some local residents, such as Paul Furcolow, who fears he will not be able to leave his home in the coming days.
“They are talking about how security procedures are going to be greatly increased and we live just around the corner, so we are wondering if we will be able to leave our condominium and move around,” he told EFE.
Others, like Justin Gavery, a resident of the “red zone,” are not so worried and understand the need for measures in the face of “threats like those experienced yesterday.”
“I am not worried about the security threats posed by the convention” and “if we have to endure the inconvenience of security for a few days, it won’t be a big problem,” he said.
Trump will give his traditional speech on Thursday in which he will publicly accept his nomination as the Republican presidential candidate. His vice presidential nominee is also expected to be revealed later this week.
The tycoon was the victim of an attempted assassination during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a 20-year-old man shot him with a rifle, wounding him in the right ear.
The Secret Service shot and killed the attacker, who fired from a high position outside the compound, and one member of the public died from a gunshot wound.
Keep reading:
- Trump opens up after attack: “I’m supposed to be dead”
- Who is the man killed in a shooting at Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania?
- Biden calls for national unity from the Oval Office after the attack on Trump