Trump to Hold First Open-Air Rally Since Assassination Attempt

Former US President and Republican candidate, Donald Trump, is set to hold an outdoor rally in North Carolina on Wednesday, marking his first open-air campaign event since a narrow escape from an assassination attempt last month.

According to US media reports, citing security and campaign personnel, security measures have been intensified for the afternoon rally at an aviation museum in Asheboro, North Carolina. The event will feature bulletproof glass surrounding Trump’s podium, a precautionary measure recommended by the Secret Service following a shooting incident at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

On August 14, Trump was injured in the ear and one person in the crowd was killed when a gunman fired at him from a rooftop. The Secret Service had advised Trump to stop holding outdoor events, but the former President has publicly stated his desire to return to open-air rallies.

Trump, 78, has held roughly a dozen indoor rallies since the shooting, but has maintained his commitment to outdoor events. On July 31, he told supporters at an indoor arena in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, “We’re not giving up the outdoor rallies.” Days earlier, Trump posted on social media that he would continue to hold open-air events, stating that the Secret Service has agreed to “substantially step up their operation” and are “very capable of doing so.”

The rally in North Carolina is expected to be a significant test of Trump’s resolve to return to open-air events, despite the increased security risks.