The Trump campaign sent a letter to U.S. Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle on Thursday, asking that she address a “critical flaw” in the security perimeter of this summer’s Republican National Convention, saying that guests’ safety is jeopardized as protesters prepare to descend on the area.
The convention, which will take place in Milwaukee from July 15 to 18, will have a perimeter that includes Pere Marquette Park.
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Currently, people must go through Pere Marquette, which is owned by the city, to reach the facilities. According to a person acquainted with the security strategy, the park serves as a natural gathering place, and there is a growing concern that attendance’s safety will be jeopardized if it is not secured.
The letter, seen first by ABC News, follows many attempts by Republican congressional legislators, including Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Sen. Ron Johnson, and Sen. Rick Scott. They requested a meeting with the Secret Service and RNC executives to discuss safety and security at the convention as protesters prepare to demonstrate.
The Trump campaign’s proposal is for the Secret Service to construct a cushion area—a one-block modification—between the RNC facilities and the authorized protest locations.
Todd Steggerda, counsel to the Republican National Committee, wrote in the letter that the Secret Service is ignoring their concerns and several outreach attempts to change the security perimeter.
“To date, the local USSS team has been unresponsive to the RNC’s reasonable proposal, as set out in my April 26 letter, to alleviate these safety risks through a very modest alteration of the perimeter, namely, to expand a small portion of the security perimeter approximately one block to the east to encapsulate the park,” wrote Steggerda.
Anthony Guglielmi, a Secret Service spokesperson, told ABC News that “demonstration zones for the convention are designated by the host city, not the Secret Service.”
He stated that “we take security planning for these events extremely seriously,” and that the agency has been in frequent communication with Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley, RNC staff members in Milwaukee, and members of the United States Senate about the convention’s security plan.
“We base our security perimeters on public safety metrics including protective intelligence, risk, and threat evaluations. “Our model is intended to provide the highest level of security while minimizing the impact on the public,” Guglielmi stated.
“Publicly disclosing security information, as done in this letter, undermines our ability to maintain the integrity of our security plan and keep the convention, attendees, and the public safe,” Guglielmi said.
The city of Milwaukee has not detected “any critical flaws” and is working with “multiple agencies” to assure high-level security plans, according to Jeff Fleming, Milwaukee’s director of communications.
The letter states that someone from the Secret Service stated that adjusting the security perimeter was “illegal”; however, the Trump campaign maintains that the agency has final authority and discretion to do so.
According to the letter, adjusting the perimeter would strike a balance between security and public safety. The Trump team believes that shifting the perimeter allows guests, journalists, and community members to stroll securely, be treated with respect and dignity, and have their First Amendment rights safeguarded. Among those rights is the right to peaceful protest and assembly within sight and sound of the convention. The proposed changes confirm that this will still occur.
The RNC’s demand comes as political rallies against the war in Gaza grow across the country, with many taking place on college campuses. Several protests resulted in arrests.
The RNC is projected to attract over 50,000 attendees, as well as additional onlookers. Thousands more demonstrators are also anticipated.
The Trump campaign’s desperation increases as the convention approaches.
“With less than two months before the Convention and even less time before the USSS finalizes the plan, it is imperative that you take personal and immediate steps to fix this unacceptable flaw in the design of the security perimeter,” Steggerda states in the letter.
