Trump forced to scrap outdoor rally in Wisconsin due to Secret Service shortages

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Former President Donald Trump has been forced to cancel an outside rally in Wisconsin because of shortages within the Secret Service.

The rally was planned for Saturday at an airport, but the agency said it didn’t have the staff needed to secure the area, according to CBS News. The former president is instead set to speak at a smaller indoor venue in Prairie du Chien in the southwestern part of the state on the border with Iowa.

The Secret Service said it was low on personnel because of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where they have to provide security for foreign leaders during their time in the US.

An agency official told CBS News the Secret Service was “never configured to provide such an elevated level of protection for an increasing number of protected.”

“Our personnel and equipment are being pushed to their limits to sustain the current operational tempo,” they added. “This proposed Wisconsin event also took place during the United Nations General Assembly, where the Secret Service is responsible for the safety and security of over 140 world leaders amid a challenged global threat level.”

The Secret Service increased its protection for Trump following the assassination attempt against the Republican nominee in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 when he was grazed by a bullet before being covered by agents. One rally attendee was shot and killed by the gunman and two others were injured.

An alleged second attempt on Trump’s life was disrupted on September 15 when an agent opened fire on the suspect, who fled but was later detained going down I-95.

Secret Service officials have asked Congress for more funding and resources even as legislators have severely criticized the agency for the July 13 security failures. This week, lawmakers approved $231 million in fresh funding for the agency.

The service is tasked with protecting foreign leaders while they’re in the US as well as President Joe Biden and his family, in addition to former presidents, vice presidents, their families and candidates for president and vice president.

The service is currently protecting about three dozen people continually, CBS noted.

The Trump campaign decreased the frequency of outdoor rallies following the Pennsylvania shooting as they require more coordination and planning.

“Former President Donald Trump is receiving heightened levels of US Secret Service protection and our top priority is mitigating risks to ensure his continued safety at all times,” a spokesperson for the service told the network.