Bulletproof glass protects Trump at North Carolina rally
Former President Donald Trump held his first outdoor rally since the assassination attempt against him, speaking behind bulletproof glass, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024.
Former President Donald Trump held his first outdoor rally since the attempted assassination on his life in Pennsylvania, and a wall of bulletproof glass protected him at the podium in Asheboro, North Carolina.
The rally came on the same day that a bipartisan congressional task force looking into the July 13 shooting is set to meet with the FBI about the agency's investigation into the deadly shooting.
Wednesday’s rally was held between hangars at the North Carolina Aviation Museum and the Trump campaign described the gathering as a "messaging event," although 2,500 people were expected to attend.
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Former President Donald Trump campaigns in North Carolina behind bulletproof glass, left. A counter-sniper keeps a watchful eye at the event, right. (REUTERS/Jonathan Drake)
The Secret Service had a large, sprawling presence at the venue and decided to protect the stage at the rally with the see-through glass given the near miss on Trump’s life last month.
Trump invited a group of law enforcement officials onto the stage, and later stepped out from behind the glass to check on someone in the crowd who seemed to be having a medical emergency. A group of Secret Service agents watched his every move.
Portable storage units and moving trucks were placed behind the media riser in order to protect the speakers. Indoor events are generally easier to secure, according to experts.
Security forces members keep watch on the day of a campaign rally held by former President Donald Trump at Asheboro Regional Airport in Asheboro, North Carolina, Aug. 21, 2024. (REUTERS/Jonathan Drake)
Trump, as well as Republican vice presidential candidate, Sen. JD Vance, spoke at the rally to discuss national security, highlighting the Biden-Harris’ record on Ukraine and the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, a bipartisan congressional task force looking into the July 13 shooting is set to meet remotely with the FBI Wednesday.
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Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., said at a press briefing on Wednesday that the task force is still looking into gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks' background.
"We still haven't learned a lot. We haven't learned much about those overseas accounts. We do know that they were in, if I get this correctly, Belgium, New Zealand and Germany," Waltz said.
"Why does [Crooks] need encrypted platforms, not even based in the United States, but based abroad, where most terrorist organizations know it is harder for our law enforcement to get into? "That's a question I've had since day one."
Waltz called on the FBI and the Secret Service to be more forthcoming with providing lawmakers with developments in the case.
Rooftop security is in position prior to Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally, Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Asheboro, N.C. Wednesday's event is the first outdoor rally Trump has held since the attempted assassination of the former president. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
"They need to be releasing information as they come across it, because this wasn't an isolated incident."
"From the task force perspective, the FBI and the Secret Service, as they were trying to do under [former Director Kimberly] Cheatle, cannot just say we're not going to tell you a thing until we do our thorough investigation months from now," Waltz said.
"We need to be learning things as we go. The thing that has me very frustrated is that the people responsible for the security plan that was clearly dramatically and ridiculously flawed haven't even been suspended. They're still in charge of security operations right now as we speak, and that has me incredibly concerned."
Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
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