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President Donald Trump’s security is under the spotlight in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination — just a year after two assassination attempts against the president.
While the Secret Service has initiated a host of changes to the agency to prevent another assassination attempt on the president in the past year, the president is constantly under threat. And he’s poised to visit a huge stadium Sunday for Kirk’s memorial service, which is fertile ground for more threats.
Trump is slated to attend Kirk’s memorial service at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The venue has the capacity to host 63,400 people and can accommodate up to 73,000 for “mega-events,” according to its website.
A senior administration official confirmed to Fox News Digital Friday that federal law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, distributed a report Thursday warning that they are monitoring “several threats of unknown credibility” against Trump, Vice President JD Vance and others planning to attend Kirk’s memorial service.
The assessment claims that the memorial may be an attractive target for violent extremists or lone wolf actors due to the significant media coverage it’s expected to attract.
Tim Miller, who served as a Secret Service agent during Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton’s administrations, said that Secret Service knows that the “threat picture” has likely never been higher for any other president and will be providing the highest level of protection possible during the memorial event.
“The Secret Service is never going to underestimate the potential threats of these events,” Miller, who now heads up Lionheart International Services Group that provides security support and training, told Fox News Digital Tuesday. “They are going to provide exactly the amount of security required to ensure the highest level of safety, especially given that the event where Charlie Kirk died was an outdoor event.”
In addition to attending the memorial, Trump is expected to share some remarks.
“It’s going to be big,” Trump told reporters Monday. “I’m going to be at the stadium, and I guess I’ll say a few words. I don’t know, but I guess I will, but I knew him very well. He was an amazing guy. He was all about young people and getting them started.”
WHITE HOUSE PUSHES FOR $58M SECURITY INCREASE IN WAKE OF KIRK ASSASSINATION
Kirk, 31, was shot in the neck during a stop on his American Comeback Tour Wednesday at Utah Valley University. While Kirk did not receive a Secret Service security detail for the large event like Trump does at every outing, his death, along with the assassination attempts on Trump in 2024, amplify pressure on the agency to hone its skills.
“After yesterday, I am sure every Secret Service agent recognizes that every day that they go to work could be the day,” Miller said Thursday.
Meanwhile, the assassination has prompted the White House to pursue more security funding to protect the president. The White House has put in a request for an additional $58 million in security funding for the executive and judicial branches from Congress, a spokesperson for the White House’s Office of Management and Budget confirmed Monday to Fox News Digital.
The added funds would be tacked onto a continuing resolution, the spokesperson said. Lawmakers must pass a stopgap spending measure to keep the government open, or else a government shutdown could occur when funds expire on Sept. 30.
No additional details were provided, and the office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Efforts also are underway on Capitol Hill to enhance security for lawmakers, and the Senate approved a new rule change Thursday that would permit lawmakers to foot the bill for personal security measures using official office funds.
‘GRADUALLY AND THEN SUDDENLY’: REAGAN SPEECHWRITER TALKS POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN AFTERMATH OF KIRK’S DEATH
Meanwhile, the White House has implemented venue changes that would provide Trump greater security, directly after Kirk’s death.
A White House official confirmed to Fox News Digital that Trump’s speech at the Pentagon to commemorate the 9/11 terrorist attacks was moved inside due to an “abundance of caution.”
Meanwhile, the Secret Service has been operating at the most heightened levels following the two assassination attempts against Trump last year.
“The Secret Service now has to play at a level of enhanced security that they’ve never dreamed of before,” Miller told Fox News Digital Thursday. “I think (Secret Service Director Sean Curran) is doing a good job in leading that effort.”
“But here’s the bad news for the Secret Service: They don’t have time,” Miller said. “This threat is now. Can you imagine — they already shot our president once. Can you imagine if they’re able to kill him?”
SECRET SERVICE UNDER PRESSURE: WHAT KIRK’S ASSASSINATION MEANS FOR TRUMP’S SECURITY
The White House did not provide comment to Fox News Digital on whether bolstered security would be in place during Kirk’s funeral.
The Secret Service did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital about security at the memorial service. The agency previously extended its sympathies to the Kirk family, but did not comment on any specific alterations to Trump’s security detail in response to Kirk’s death.
“The safety and security of our protectees is the U.S. Secret Service’s top priority,” a Secret Service spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “President Trump receives the highest levels of U.S. Secret Service protection and the agency adjusts our protective posture as needed to mitigate evolving threats. Out of concern for operational security, we cannot discuss the means and methods used for our protective operations.”
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