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The lack of staff at the Secret Service led Trump's campaign team to postpone the rally in Wisconsin

The lack of staff at the Secret Service led Trump's campaign team to postpone the rally in Wisconsin

Multiple sources told CBS News that former President Donald Trump's campaign scrapped plans for an upcoming outdoor rally in Wisconsin after the Secret Service said it did not have the necessary personnel to secure the site.

The rally was scheduled to take place outdoors at an airport on Saturday, but Trump will instead deliver his speech at a smaller indoor arena in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

The intelligence agency said it was understaffed due to the ongoing annual session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The service is responsible for the security of foreign dignitaries while they are in the United States

A senior Secret Service official briefed on the planning of the Wisconsin rally said the agency “was never designed to provide such a high level of protection to a growing number of protected individuals.” The official was granted anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

“Our personnel and equipment are being pushed to the limit to maintain the current operational tempo,” the official said. “This planned event in Wisconsin also took place during the United Nations General Assembly, where the Secret Service is responsible for the security of over 140 world leaders in the face of a challenging global threat environment.”

The change in venue comes after the Secret Service tightened protections for Trump following the Shooting on July 13th at one of his rallies in Pennsylvania. A Second apparent assassination attempt at his golf course in Florida was disrupted by a Secret Service agent earlier this month.

Agency leaders have implored Congress to provide more funding and resources to help the service meet its security obligations, while lawmakers have sharply criticized the agency over the security failures that preceded the shooting in Pennsylvania. congress approved a spending package That included $231 million in new funding for the service this week.

In addition to protecting foreign executives, the Secret Service is also tasked with protecting foreign heads of state Backup President Biden and his family, as well as all former presidents, vice presidents, their families, and presidential and vice presidential candidates. The secret service currently protects around three dozen people on a full-time basis.

“Former President Donald Trump is receiving increased protection from the U.S. Secret Service and our top priority is to mitigate risks to ensure his continued safety at all times,” said Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Secret Service.

After the first attack in Pennsylvania, the Trump campaign reduced the number of its outdoor rallies. These rallies often require more security coordination and planning because they can accommodate more participants than an indoor rally. The former president has held only a handful of outdoor rallies since the Butler attack.

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