- The US Secret Service increased security near Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach.
- A local road will be closed to through traffic until the November general election “at a minimum.”
- The US Secret Service’s decision comes after Trump survived an assassination attempt on July 13.
The US Secret Service is bolstering security around Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club after last weekend’s assassination attempt.
The Town of Palm Beach told residents that 1100 South Ocean Boulevard will be closed to through traffic starting Saturday morning and continue “24/7 until the November general election at a minimum.”
“The US Secret Service has made this decision, neither Town Officials nor the Town Council,” an alert said. “The Town is working closely with the US Secret Service to minimize the impacts of this road closure.”
The alert added that the Town of Palm Beach intends to explore legal options to “ensure that the road remains open in the absence of the protected person(s) in residence.”
The new security measures at Mar-a-Lago come one week after 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks shot at Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
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The incident prompted criticism of the US Secret Service, which has shouldered much of the blame for a perceived lapse in security.
Anthony Cangelosi, a former special agent who directed the Secret Service’s technical security advances for presidential candidates, previously told Business Insider that he expects the Secret Service to require “a lot more personnel” on-site when Trump speaks publicly in the future.
Cangelosi, who is now a professor at the City University of New York — said he thinks the Secret Service will also rely more on local law enforcement for security at future events.
“It’s a tremendous false multiplier in these situations,” Cangelosi said. “They know a lot about the area. They can bring in additional personnel. And 99% of the times the local law enforcement likes it, they like participating.”
President Joe Biden last week ordered an independent probe into the security at Trump’s rally. GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson said the House would launch a “full investigation” into the events related to the shooting.
A press release from the Secret Service said its director, Kimberly Cheatle, is scheduled to testify before the House Committee on Oversight on Monday.
“The Secret Service is fully accountable for the safety of its protectees,” the statement read. “We are committed to better understanding what happened before, during and after the assassination attempt of former President Trump to ensure it never happens again. That includes complete cooperation with Congress, the FBI and other relevant investigations.”
The FBI is the lead federal law enforcement agency investigating the attempted assassination.
Representatives for Trump’s campaign, the Trump Organization, and the US Secret Service did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
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