President Biden acknowledged on Monday that the Secret Service “needs more help” following the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
“One thing I want to make clear is: the Service needs more help. And I think Congress should respond to their need,” Biden said as he prepared to leave the White House for a trip to Philadelphia.
“Thank God the president is OK,” Biden added, referring to his former political rival.
Biden went on to suggest that the Secret Service would ultimately determine if they required additional resources.
The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was arrested on Sunday after being found with an AK-47-style rifle near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. A Secret Service officer reportedly fired at Routh, who fled but was later apprehended.
Routh had posted on social media using similar rhetoric to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, once writing, “DEMOCRACY is on the ballot and we cannot lose.”
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said security was lighter for Trump since he’s no longer the sitting president:
“If he was, we would have had this entire golf course surrounded. But because he’s not, security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible.”
Bradshaw added that security would likely be tightened during future appearances by Trump.
Following the incident, Trump’s allies in Congress called for increased protection for the Republican presidential nominee, especially ahead of the November election. This follows an earlier attempt on Trump’s life in July when a gunman grazed Trump with a bullet at a rally in Pennsylvania, prompting bipartisan concern over security gaps.
