The people familiar with the matter spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private discussions.
For future events, the Trump campaign is looking for indoor venues, such as basketball arenas or larger spaces that can accommodate thousands of people, people familiar with the request said. The campaign is not currently planning any large outdoor events, a person close to Trump said.
A spokesman for the Trump campaign declined to comment, and a Secret Service spokesman said the agency doesn’t comment on self-protection methods.
Since first announcing his candidacy, Trump has held hundreds of outdoor rallies, boasting and sometimes falsely exaggerating the size of their crowds. The rallies have become a cult favorite among his most avid fans, with tailgate parties in parking lots, food stalls in nearby plazas and massive traffic parades featuring hulking pickup trucks.
Trump typically takes to the stage before other speakers, and crowds can endure hours of heat or cold, sometimes leaving before the perennially late Trump finishes speaking.
Rallies are often held at airports, but also at trade fairs, football stadiums and other large outdoor venues.
Sarah Matthews, a former Trump press secretary and now a critic, said Trump would often get upset if people didn’t pass through the magnetometer quickly enough or if outdoor venues didn’t fill up quickly enough.
“We’ve seen from the very beginning of his presidency and even before that during his first campaign in 2016 how important the size of the crowds is to him. He gets so much joy and energy from being with big crowds. He feeds off their energy. It’s almost a source of comfort to him,” said Matthews, who served as deputy press secretary in Trump’s White House.
Indoor rallies are expensive, campaign advisers said, but one campaign official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private planning, said they are inherently safer because it’s easier to control who comes through a limited number of doors and there are fewer line-of-sight issues.
“Obviously, indoor venues are limited in capacity,” she said. “It doesn’t have the same impact. There’s something special about attending an outdoor gathering.”
Rallies have long been considered a hassle for the Secret Service because they take place in complex, outdoor venues that draw thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of people. Most other former presidents have rarely appeared in public, and when they did, it was usually at conferences, restaurants or other secluded venues. Trump’s many large events require a much larger security presence than any other former president.
Agents typically arrive well early to put together a security plan for the large outdoor venue.
Following the assassination attempt, U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on Tuesday and told employees she “takes full responsibility,” according to a copy of a letter sent to Secret Service employees obtained by The Washington Post.
In early 2024, Trump’s advisers told the Secret Service they planned to host large events on a regular basis and would require more protection and assets, according to a person familiar with the conversations. But the two sides often fought over resources, and requests from Trump’s aides were rebuffed by the Secret Service.
