(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The Trump campaign has requested military aircraft for the presidential frontrunner to use during the final week of his campaign, as alleged assassination threats from Iran and other bad actors persist.
The New York Times first reported on Trump’s request Friday, citing four officials who were briefed on the matter.
“The campaign’s requests for more security, one of the people said, included sophisticated, classified military assets that are used only for sitting presidents; the pre-placement of ballistic, or bullet-resistant, glass in the main battleground states where he would be campaigning most frequently; and an expansion of temporary flight restrictions over Mr. Trump’s residences and campaign sites,” NYT reported.
“The Trump team in effect is looking for him to be protected at the same level that President Biden is. Mr. Trump’s team has been told that he is being given the highest level of protection available, though no candidate or former president receives what a sitting president does.”
The Washington Post also published an article on the matter Friday, after reviewing internal emails about the matter.
According to the Post, Trump campaign manager Susan Wiles has complained to Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe about having to cancel a public event at the last minute because of a “lack of personnel” from the Secret Service.
Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., who sites on the House Intelligence Committee, has also reportedly written to the Secret Service about the matter, asking for military aircraft or additional protection for Trump’s private plane.
Anthony Guglielmi told the Post in a statement that Trump is receiving “the highest levels of protection.”
“Assistance from the Department of Defense is regularly provided for the former president’s protection, to include explosive ordnance disposal, canine units, and airlift transportation,” he reportedly said.
“Additionally, the former president is receiving the highest level of technical security assets which include unmanned aerial vehicles, counter unmanned aerial surveillance systems, ballistics and other advanced technology systems.”
Reports on Trump’s requests for military-grade protection come about two weeks after Trump was forced to cancel an outdoor rally set for the key battleground state of Wisconsin, due to the Secret Service denying him resources to secure the event. On the same night of Rowe’s remarks, his Secret Service secured a rally for Vice President Kamala Harris in Madison, Wisconsin.
According to a Secret Service whistleblower, the agency recently told the Trump campaign that it lacked sufficient assets to secure a potential campaign rally in Wisconsin for the former president.
Other whistleblowers allege that failure to provide protection for a major public event is highly unusual, and that a sitting president would never be denied resources in this way.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
