Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh did not provide details on
the type of support that would be provided but said Austin had
directed U.S. Northern Command to plan and provide support to
the Secret Service at various locations during the election.
A Secret Service spokesperson said later the Secret Service has
strengthened its protective operations following the July 13
Pennsylvania rally of Republican presidential candidate Donald
Trump in which the former president was shot and survived an
assassination attempt.
"As part of this effort, the Department of Defense is providing
the U.S. Secret Service with additional assistance including
logistics, transportation, and communications, through the 2024
campaign season," the Secret Service spokesperson said.
Security at Trump's Butler, Pennsylvania, rally came under
scrutiny over concerns about how the suspect was able to access
a nearby rooftop with a direct line of sight to where Trump was
speaking.
The Secret Service has said it was "ashamed" of the security
lapse and its chief stepped down in the aftermath.
A rally attendee was killed in the shooting and two others were
wounded. The FBI has not yet been able to determine what
motivated the shooting suspect.
Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris are in a tight
race for the Nov. 5 U.S. elections.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Kanishka SinghEditing by Chris
Reese)
[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All
rights reserved.]
Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.

|
|