(NewsNation) — The U.S. Secret Service said Monday it’s assured in the security plan for the Republican National Convention, where former President Donald Trump is expected to accept the Republican Party’s presidential nomination.
“I am confident in the security plan our Secret Service RNC coordinator and our partners have put in place, which we have reviewed and strengthened in the wake of Saturday’s shooting,” Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said in a statement Monday.
It comes after the FBI said Sunday that a 20-year-old gunman attempted to assassinate the former president at a campaign rally Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania. The gunman was shot and killed seconds after Trump was shot; he acted alone and was not previously on the FBI’s radar.
The assassination attempt did not prompt any changes to the Secret Service’s security plan for the event, said Audrey Gibson-Cicchino, the agency’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,” she said.
Cheatle said her agency is working with all involved federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to understand what happened, how it happened and how they can prevent an incident like the assassination attempt from happening again.
“In addition to the additional security enhancements we provided former President Trump’s detail in June, we have also implemented changes to his security detail since Saturday to ensure his continued protection for the convention and the remainder of the campaign,” she said in the statement.
A Secret Service source told NewsNation that Trump now has nearly the same level of security coverage as current President Joe Biden. On Truth Social Monday, Trump called for independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to also receive Secret Service protection. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said at an afternoon press briefing that in light of the weekend’s events, Biden directed him to provide Kennedy with Secret Service.
The FBI has not determined the motive behind the shooting at the Trump rally, which also resulted in the death of an attendee and serious injury to two others.
Protestors gather at RNC site
Over 50,000 people are expected to gather in downtown Milwaukee for the start of the RNC this week.
For weeks, there have been disputes between groups of protestors and the city over where they will be able to march. These groups include those standing with Palestine as well as women’s rights, abortion rights, LGBTQ+ rights and immigration rights.
Activists carried signs that read, “Stand with Palestine,” “We Can No Longer Afford the Rich,” and “Defend and Expand Immigrant Rights.” Walking in heat approaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit, protestors chanted: “Hey-hey, ho-ho, Republicans have got to go” and “This is what democracy looks like.”
Counter-protestors could also be seen in the same area, as well as vendors selling T-shirts and buttons supporting both Republicans and Democrats.
Marchers passed within a block of Fiserv Forum, where the Republican National Convention took place, and went on the edge of the arena’s security zone before returning to a downtown park. The Milwaukee Police Department estimated the crowd at between 700 and 800 people. No one was arrested.
NewsNation’s Kellie Meyer, Caitlyn Shelton, Sean Noone, Joe Khalil and The Associated Press contributed to this report.