WASHINGTON (AFP) – United States (US) Presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Saturday he will return to holding outdoor rallies with additional Secret Service protection, two weeks after he was injured in an assassination attempt at an open-air campaign event.
“I will continue to do outdoor rallies, and the Secret Service has agreed to substantially step up their operation. They are very capable of doing so,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
“No one can ever be allowed to stop or impede free speech or gathering,” he added.
His remarks came after the Secret Service reportedly encouraged Trump’s campaign to stop scheduling outdoor campaign events following his assassination attempt, opting instead for large indoor arenas.
Trump was wounded when a 20-year-old gunman shot at him during an outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, killing one person and injuring two others.
Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned last Tuesday after acknowledging that the agency had failed in its mission of protecting high-profile politicians.
She told a congressional committee that the Secret Service was alerted “two to five times” ahead of the attack about a “suspicious individual” at the rally, but was unable to locate him before he opened fire.
Trump has made the shooting a key part of his campaign pitch, telling supporters that he “took a bullet for democracy” and vowing to return to Butler for a “big and beautiful rally.”
