Republican senators have introduced bill to elevate former President Trump’s protection.
A group of GOP senators on Thursday introduced a bill that would elevate the U.S. Secret Service’s protection of presidential nominees, days after a second apparent assassination attempt targeting former President Donald Trump.
The bill, called the “Protect Our Presidents Act,” would mandate that the Secret Service “provide presidential nominees the same level of protection provided to the president, as well as any necessary protective measures,” adding, “The nominee may decline the increased protection.”
The measure, introduced by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), would also mandate regular reporting by the Secret Service about the status of a presidential nominee’s protection to top congressional leaders every 15 days during a presidential election year, according to a news release issued by the senator’s office.
“This report will include the threat level for each presidential nominee, the security measures being implemented, associated costs, the number of personnel permanently assigned to each protective detail, and any unmet security needs,” the release said.
While Scott said that Trump has “great officers and agents” who are protecting him, he said there is a need for more protective resources because Trump has become a target.
“I urge Senate Democrats to join Republicans to quickly pass this bill that will support the protection of President Trump and all future presidential nominees,” the GOP senator said.
The FBI has said that it is investigating an incident that occurred at Trump’s Florida golf course as an assassination attempt and that the suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, was positioned for 12 hours near the course’s perimeter with an SKS-style rifle with a scope, a camera, and two backpacks.
Routh faces felony gun charges in connection to the incident, the Department of Justice said earlier this week. He has not yet entered a plea in connection to the case.
Two months before, Trump survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, after a gunman opened fire on a rally where he was speaking, nearly striking him in the skull. The former president’s right ear was pierced by a bullet fired by the shooter, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was shot and killed by Secret Service agents soon after he opened fire.
On Sept. 16, President Joe Biden said that the Secret Service “needs help” and called on Congress to act. “They may decide whether they need more personnel or not,” he told reporters.
Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), the chairman of the House task force investigating the July 13 shooting, told reporters Thursday that Trump had presidential-level Secret Service protection during the golf course incident on Sunday.
“He had the same coverage as sitting president as he had last Sunday,” he said, adding that he “came away today feeling that the Secret Service on this past Sunday was treating it the same way as when President Trump was the sitting president.”
Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), the top Democrat on the House task force, said, “It appeared to be the same security package that was provided to former President Trump at that site … as he actually received when he was the president.”
Elaborating, Crow noted that it doesn’t “appear at this point” that “there were any obvious failures of security and protocol” during the golf course apparent assassination attempt.
In comments after Sunday’s incident, Trump has praised local law enforcement and the Secret Service for their response.
“Most importantly, I want to thank the U.S. Secret Service, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and his Office of brave and dedicated Patriots, and, all of Law Enforcement, for the incredible job done today at Trump International in keeping me, as the 45th President of the United States, and the Republican Nominee in the upcoming Presidential Election, SAFE,” he wrote on social media on Sept. 16.