Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his newly minted running mate JD Vance will speak at a highly protected rally in Michigan Saturday — the former president’s first since nearly being assassinated by a deranged shooter last weekend in Pennsylvania.
Security is reported to be “unprecedented” for the event in Grand Rapids, sources said, after the attempt on the 78-year-old former president’s life in Butler has raised serious questions about the ability of Secret Service and local law enforcement to protect candidates and attendees from attacks.
Security is intense at the arena.
”I think you can already see they’ve doubled down in a big way,” former Michigan congressman and retired FBI agent Mike Rogers told The Post.
“It is a little easier to secure an enclosed building than an open-air building. You’ll see a heightened sense of security at all levels. But even with that said, I have not seen this many police and Secret Service in a very long time.”
When asked whether security had been beefed-up for this event, a Michigan Trump campaign staff member said it had been.
When pressed if he’s ever seen anything like the show of force present ahead of rally, he said, “I don’t think so”
Numerous disposable vapes — a prohibited item — had been thrown to the ground outside the stadium.
Upon entering, attendees were forced to remove all belongings and pass through a metal detector. One man mistakenly kept on a Trump pin while going through and was met with suspicious looks from security.
Police cars were seen crowding the jammed streets outside.
There were no apparent protests or counterprotests. The crowd outside was enthusiastic, with some having come from as far as Delaware and Tennessee, they said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.