Former President Donald Trump will resume his outdoor rallies after the Secret Service made an exception for him to be protected by bulletproof glass, according to multiple reports. The Secret Service plans to surround Trump's podium with bulletproof glass, two federal law enforcement officials told CBS News. Citing "multiple sources," ABC News confirmed the report of the Secret Service utilizing bulletproof glass to protect the former president.'This isn't just a piece of glass but a large, bulky, and heavy armored glass that will require extensive logistics capability, normally reserved for large-scale outdoor events.'The Secret Service declined to comment on the report to both news outlets. Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told ABC News that the campaign does not comment on security measures relating to former President Trump.The security measure is typically reserved for protecting sitting presidents. However, the Secret Service is making an exception for Trump following the assassination attempt against him during his July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The use of ballistic glass was first proposed by former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle shortly after the assassination attempt but before her resignation from the agency. Retired senior Secret Service agent Don Mihalek told ABC News, "The Secret Service use of UpArmored glass around former President Trump is another step to ensure the campaign is and remains secure. This isn't just a piece of glass but a large, bulky, and heavy armored glass that will require extensive logistics capability, normally reserved for large-scale outdoor events."The assassination attempt against Trump was the first attempted assassination of a presidential candidate since George Wallace in March 1972. Wallace was shot four times and paralyzed from the waist down from the shooting in Laurel, Maryland. Following the shooting, the Secret Service reportedly urged Trump not to hold any outdoor rallies ahead of the 2024 presidential election. On July 23, NBC News reported that Trump planned to stop holding outdoor rallies, according to two sources familiar with his campaign’s operations.Since the July 13 assassination attempt, Trump has held nearly a dozen campaign events; all of them have been held indoors.On July 31, Trump said he isn't "giving up on the outdoor rallies" during a campaign rally at an indoor arena in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. "They'd prefer that we be in an arena. I don't know why. But we're not giving up the outdoor rallies," Trump told the crowd. "You know, all those people that we had to turn away today, at an outdoor rally you can have."Weeks before the Butler shooting, there were reportedly intelligence reports that Iran was plotting an assassination attempt against Trump, allegedly prompting the Secret Service to beef up security around the former president. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
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