Melania Trump says she was surprised by a proposal that Donald Trump should use private security following the two assassination attempts made against the former president.
On July 13, Donald Trump suffered only a grazed ear after a gunman fired at him while he was speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. The suspect, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot dead by the Secret Service.
The Secret Service was later criticized for its protection of Trump because the shooter was able to climb on a nearby roof and open fire on the Republican presidential candidate. The federal agency received further criticism because it did not sweep the Florida golf course where a gunman was stopped from making a second attempt on Trump’s life last month.
Melania Trump, meanwhile, has praised “the [Secret Service] people around” her and her husband, calling them “fantastic,” and said she was “surprised” by a suggestion that her family should have private security as well as Secret Service protection. She made the remarks on Thursday while discussing her new memoir, Melania, on Fox News’ Sean Hannity show.
She said she heard the proposal during a hearing about the Butler assassination attempt.
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It is not clear what proposal Melania was referring to, but the suggestion has been made several times, including on September 26 during a hearing by a bipartisan House task force investigating the circumstances surrounding the Butler assassination attempt.
Arizona GOP Representative Elijah Crane said, “My suggestion to the former president and to his campaign is that he beef up his private security detail of individuals who are loyal to him and who are not burdened by the bureaucracy and organization that many of us used to hold in very high esteem.”
The former Navy SEAL added: “The reason for this is so they can plug holes the Secret Service continues to leave and make sure they are not putting him in vulnerable situations.”
Newsweek has contacted Melania Trump’s team via email to ask which specific comment she was referring to.
Just a few days ago, on Monday, GOP Representative Russ Fulcher of Idaho also said Donald Trump should consider hiring private security.
“If I’m President Trump and my objective is to stay alive, I want to look at a lot of different options, including possibly even private security, to enhance some of these needs,” Fulcher said in a podcast interview on The Hill on NewsNation.
Newsweek has contacted Donald Trump’s team via email for a response to these comments.
