The Secret Service refutes Make America Great Again’s claim that President Biden is rejecting Trump’s request for additional security.
The Secret Service issued a statement: “There is an untrue statement that a member of the former president’s team requested additional security resources and was denied. This is absolutely false. In fact, we have increased protective resources, technology and capabilities , as part of an accelerated pace of campaign travel.
Biden did not deny Trump’s safety. In fact, there was a large security presence at the event. Events involving presidential nominees have top-notch security. Journalists at Trump rallies reported being subjected to metal detectors and bag searches. Security is always tight at these types of campaign events, so what exactly happened?
As is often the case in incidents of public violence, multiple factors must be coordinated. The Trump campaign chose an outdoor venue surrounded by private real estate. Outdoor venues are notoriously harder to secure than indoor venues, where law enforcement can establish stricter boundaries. The Trump campaign also chose an open area that is accessible to the public.
Western Pennsylvania is high school football crazy territory. Several high school football stadiums in the area can accommodate thousands of people, which would be an easier site to protect. Still, as Trump campaigns on the cheap, he has been holding events in riskier territory, which also factored into the Butler incident.
Trump was not denied anything. His campaign made a poor choice, the candidate and his team chose not to prioritize safety.
What happened in Butler has nothing to do with Joe Biden.