AP
Former President Trump said he would continue holding large outdoor rallies just two weeks after he was nearly killed at one by a would-be assassin.
“I WILL CONTINUE TO DO OUTDOOR RALLIES, AND SECRET SERVICE HAS AGREED TO SUBSTANTIALLY STEP UP THEIR OPERATION,” Trump posted in a defiant missive to Truth Social Saturday.
“THEY ARE VERY CAPABLE OF DOING SO. NO ONE CAN EVER BE ALLOWED TO STOP OR IMPEDE FREE SPEECH OR GATHERING!!!” he added.
Earlier this week the Secret Service urged Trump to forgo outdoor rallies due to their added security risks after Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, opened fire at the former president’s rally in Butler, Pa., on July 13.
Trump was grazed in the ear while retired firefighter Corey Comperatore, 50, was fatally shot. Marine veteran David Dutch, 57, and retired grandfather, James Copenhaver, 74, were also seriously injured.
Crooks was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper.
In the days following Trump’s brush with death, the Secret Service has come under scrutiny for security lapses. Agency director Kimberly Cheatle resigned Tuesday after intense questioning from bipartisan Congressional members.
Trump’s Truth Social post is also a vote of confidence for the agency at large, after a number of critics have urged him to augment his campaign with private security.
Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, now serving as chair of the Republican National Committee, told The Post she had complete confidence in the agency to keep the former president safe.