The Secret Service has approved a plan to use bullet-proof glass to protect former President Trump during outdoor rallies, a senior agency official confirmed to The Hill.
The plan, first reported by ABC News, represents a shift in the level of protection normally offered to presidential candidates, as protective glass is typically only used for presidents and vice presidents when deemed necessary.
But the agency has been working to enhance protection of Trump following his attempted assassination at a July 13 rally in Butler, Pa., including rethinking how to offer more of the protective efforts typically only given to the sitting executives.
Shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks pierced Trump’s ear, wounded two others and killed one rally attendee.
Panels of bulletproof glass would be arranged to shield Trump while he is on stage.
The former president is fond of large outdoor rallies, something the campaign has suspended in the wake of the shooting.
“They’d prefer that we be in an arena. I don’t know why. But we’re not giving up the outdoor rallies. You know, all those people that we had to turn away today, at an outdoor rally you can have,” Trump said at an event last month.
The Secret Service declined to comment on the plans, and the Trump campaign did not immediately respond to request for comment.
From a security standpoint, the Secret Service prefers indoor venues where the agency has more control over the setting.
But Secret Service acting Director Ronald Rowe said earlier month they would work to accommodate outdoor sites.
“It’s a campaign season, right? Candidates want to be out there. … Whether it’s an indoor site or an outdoor site, it’s on the Secret Service to make sure that we create a secure environment,” Rowe told reporters during a press conference.
“And listen, we identify challenges, we identify concerns and then it’s on us to figure out what we need to do to mitigate that. So if there are going to be future campaign rallies outside it — it’s going to be on us to make sure that we are providing all the assets and resources to make sure that those sites are indeed secure.”
