Donald Trump is attending an outdoor campaign rally in North Carolina on Wednesday, his first outdoor campaign event since the assassination attempt on his life in mid-July.
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Security measures have been stepped up for the public meeting scheduled for this afternoon at the Asheboro Aviation Museum, with bulletproof glass set to surround the podium from which the former president will speak, media reports said, citing security personnel and his campaign staff.
The Secret Service, which protects senior politicians, had recommended that Trump stop attending outdoor public events after a young man shot him several times from a nearby rooftop on July 13 during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
The 78-year-old Republican candidate has since held about a dozen indoor meetings, but said he was “not giving up on outdoor gatherings.”
Donald Trump had indicated on social media at the end of July that the Secret Service had “agreed to significantly increase its resources” in anticipation of outdoor meetings. “They are capable of doing it,” he added.
The assassination attempt led to the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who was criticized for her agency’s handling of the incident.
The billionaire is campaigning in several key states this week, aiming to halt the momentum gained by his rival, Kamala Harris.
The Democratic vice president was officially sworn in Tuesday evening at the Democratic Party convention in Chicago.
