Security Questions Hang Heavy As Trump Prepares For Rally Stop At Bojangles Coliseum
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – “The assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on July 13th is the most significant failure operational failure of the Secret Service in decades,” says Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. She testified Monday before the House Oversight Committee. She is under bipartisan pressure to resign. Cheatle said, “The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders. On July 13th, we failed.”
“Yes, this was a failure in that it was allowed to occur,” says Steve Russell. But, Russell says, we have to be careful we don’t castigate the people who are willing to lay down their lives. He tells WCCB News @ Ten anchor Morgan Fogarty, “Rather than be couch potato cynics and critics talking about what should have been done. These are people that risk their lives for that protection. We ought to be grateful we still have them.”
Russell has decades of experience with security and politics. Once a Lt. Colonel in the Army, he was part of the task force that brought down Saddam Hussein. As a U.S. Congressman, he served as chairman of the National Security Subcommittee. Presidential and high profile official coordination, he says, “was something that we dealt with routinely.”
Former President Trump will appear at Bojangles Coliseum on Wednesday. Security at an inside event will be much different, says Russell. From parking to cameras to simply just practice. Russell says, “You have an enclosed facility that is already set up and used to security. It is used to handling masses of the public. It is used to control points.”
Quite different from an open field in an industrial park, as was the case in Pennsylvania. Russell says as always, local law enforcement will augment federal security efforts at Bojangles. Planning, he says, that started likely months ago. “As immediate as they were thinking about coming then all of that rolls into into place. So most of that coordination has already occurred,” Russell says.
Politicians made their points on Capitol Hill Monday. Rep. Nancy Mace told Cheatle, “You’re full of s*** today. You’re just being completely dishonest.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, “It has been 10 days since an assassination attempt on a former President the United States. Regardless of party, there need to be answers.”
Russell, meantime, is urging a more unified approach. He says, “We can castigate these very people that we’re willing to take a bullet for our elected officials or those wanting to be reelected. Let’s not run those people off.”
Russell tells WCCB he does expect to see former President Trump return to outdoor venues as he continues to campaign, saying these high profile figures truly do trust their security details.
