The Secret Service is turning near-assassination lemons into Deep State lemonade. Following its catastrophic failure to secure Donald Trump’s July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the Secret Service has come up with a “fix” that reeks of ulterior motives: the agency has advised the Trump campaign to stop holding large outdoor rallies altogether. 

Broken by the Washington Post, news of the agency’s pathetic prescription came hours after Secret Service Director Kimberley Cheatle resigned, following a marathon Monday grilling on Capitol Hill that saw her used as a punching bag by members of both major parties. Her agency’s multi-dimensional incompetence in Pennsylvania left a former president and two spectators wounded — and another dead. 

BREAKING: President Donald Trump will no longer hold outdoor rallies like this one in Wildwood, NJ which drew 100,000 patriots!

Biden’s Secret Service almost got Trump killed and they can’t guarantee Trump’s safety.

Sad day in America when the Commies get their way. pic.twitter.com/FGTSf4zhK8

— Alec Lace (@AlecLace) July 24, 2024

The Secret Service’s recommendation undermines a cornerstone of Trump campaign culture. Trump fans have turned his sprawling outdoor rallies into daylong parties complete with tailgate barbecues, merchants selling Trump-branded gear, and vehicles decorated in tribute to the former president. Thousands who can’t get into the rally itself are content to soak up the festive atmosphere in the immediate vicinity. The rallies often provide stunning visual indicators of Trump’s support, serving as campaign ads in and of themselves.  

Given Trump came within an inch of a fatal head-shot thanks to the Secret Service’s inadequacy — which could take a long time to fix — his campaign is perhaps reasonably taking the agency’s recommendation to heart:

For upcoming events, Trump’s team is scouting indoor venues, such as basketball arenas and other large spaces where thousands of people can fit, people familiar with the request said. The campaign is not currently planning any large outdoor events, a person close to Trump said. — Washington Post

The final days of Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign included this enormous rally in Butler, Pennsylvania (Trump campaign)

From a security perspective, indoor events have many obvious advantages, from a finite number of entrances to fewer opportunities for snipers — including those who might attempt a shot from much longer distances than the chip-shot, 400-foot opportunity Trump’s shooter was given. 

A source tells Axios that the change doesn’t necessarily mean Trump won’t have any outdoor rallies at all. Meanwhile, even indoors, the Trump campaign will still be able to put on some impressive displays of strength… 

Trump Force One is on its way to Michigan, and the crowd for tonight’s rally is already huge. Biden and Harris don’t stand a chance in November, and they know it. pic.twitter.com/mfw4G2dsll

— Mad Bull America (@america_mad) July 20, 2024

…however, nixing outdoor rallies will hit the Trump campaign squarely in the checkbook, since it’s much more expensive to rent a major indoor arena than an exurban fairground like the Butler Farm Show grounds. Smaller venues cost less, but give far fewer fans the opportunity to attend. According to his campaign’s event schedule, Trump’s next two venues are the 9,600-seat Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte tonight, and the 6,000-seat Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minnesota on Saturday. 

Trump has credibly accused the media of trying to avoid showing the size of his crowds. Meanwhile, we’ve watched with exasperation as observers gush over Kamala Harris filling a stadium high school gym in Wisconsin:

This is a high school gym. https://t.co/3jhM2863m3

— Siraj Hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) July 23, 2024