(NewsNation) — Over 50,000 people are expected to gather in downtown Milwaukee for the start of the 2024 Republican National Convention this week, two days after an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
While Republicans plan to gather to name Trump the GOP presidential nominee starting Monday officially, the focus of the RNC seems to have shifted after the assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday.
Large events like the RNC usually carry heavy security with local, state and federal officers on site. But the attempt did not prompt any changes to the U.S. Secret Service’s security plan for the event, said Audrey Gibson-Cicchino, the Secret Service’s coordinator for the convention, at a press briefing Sunday.
“We are fully prepared and have a comprehensive security plan in place and are ready to go,” Gibson-Cicchino said.
The RNC, and the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago, are both designated as “National Special Security Events,” which involve about 18 months of planning by the Secret Service, FBI and dozens of other law enforcement agencies.
Such events call for an inner, or “hard,” security perimeter, usually the convention venue and adjacent structures. Firearms and other weapons are banned inside it. But the surrounding area, the outer or “soft” perimeter, is not subject to the same regulations. It’s considered public land, and Wisconsin is an “open carry” state.
“Our state law allows for the particular right to carry a firearm. We, as a city, cannot legislate out of that,” Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said at the press conference, also noting that the inner perimeter is among the largest ever at a presidential party convention.
“In regards to our law enforcement aspect, we have to operate within those guidelines, unless it’s something that is against state law. We have to respect the second amendment right to carry your firearm, especially in regards to open carry or carrying concealed if your licensed,” Norman added.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavaliar Johnson added in the press conference that “local ordinances in the state of Wisconsin do not supersede state law. Wisconsin is an open carry state and therefore the City of Milwaukee and no other jurisdiction in this state and supersede that state law.”
Trump told The Washington Examiner that he has rewritten the speech he was set to deliver at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Thursday after being the target of an attempted assassination at his rally Saturday.
“The speech I was going to give on Thursday was going to be a humdinger,” he told the news outlet in an article posted Sunday evening.
In the interview, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee says he will now call for a new effort at national unity, noting that people from different political views have called him.
“This is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together. The speech will be a lot different, a lot different than it would’ve been two days ago,” he said.
Trump also reflected on the moment a bullet pierced the upper part of his right ear. He said he was saved from death because he turned from the crowd to look at a screen showing off a chart he was referring to.
“That reality is just setting in,” he told the news outlet as he boarded his plane in Bedminster, New Jersey, for Milwaukee. “I rarely look away from the crowd. Had I not done that in that moment, well, we would not be talking today, would we?”
Walking through downtown Milwaukee already feels like a bit of a fortress with barriers blocking off certain streets. A Secret Service officer told NewsNation that what additional resources they may have for the RNC is still in the planning stages, and he expects that security could possibly be enhanced for certain aspects of the convention.
Before the rally shooting, the RNC’s focus would have likely been on the Republican platform, the speaker’s list, what Trump might say and his highly anticipated announcement of his vice-presidential pick.
Now, the former president’s health after the shooting and the security situation at the convention are at the center of attention.
From the RNC’s perspective, they say they are moving forward with the convention as planned. The RNC released a joint statement with the Trump campaign, saying the former president will continue to travel to Milwaukee and that there will be no change in terms of programming.
“President Trump looks forward to joining you all in Milwaukee as we proceed with our convention to nominate him,” the statement reads in part.
As for Trump, he said he will not allow “evil to win” and looks forward to the convention.
“In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win. I truly love our Country, and love you all, and look forward to speaking to our Great Nation this week from Wisconsin,” Trump posted Sunday on Truth Social.
Before Saturday’s shooting, the U.S. Secret Service announced there is “nothing credible” regarding direct threats involving the downtown Milwaukee region where the four-day political convention will take place. Federal officials previously characterized the security situation as constantly “evolving.”
The Secret Service is expected to serve as the lead law enforcement agency for the RNC alongside efforts coordinated with the Milwaukee Police Department and Wisconsin State Patrol.
In a recent threat assessment report, special political events like the RNC are “attractive targets for domestic violent extremists, foreign terrorists and lone offenders looking to disrupt democratic institutions or cause ‘societal chaos.’” According to reports, the city of Milwaukee received $75 million in federal grant money for security costs at the RNC.
Republicans will gather at Fiserv Forum from July 15-18 for the convention. NewsNation will present special coverage of the RNC.
The Hill and the Associated Press contributed to this report