Both campaigns step up security as Secret Service faces criticism

The shocking assassination attempt against Donald Trump is likely to lead to a ramping up of security across the American political landscape as the 2024 presidential election continues to play out against a backdrop of rising violence.

- Chris Michael

In the immediate future there are likely to be increased efforts to prevent any violence or disruption at the Republican convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this week, which now will unfold in the context of the attempt on Trump's life.

The broader effect of the shooting on campaigning for the presidential race is also likely to be noticeable.

Trump has long made a habit of holding frequent rallies around the country that can attract tens of thousands of people, and it remains to be seen if he will call off future events or double down on his strategy.

The Pennsylvania shooting marks the US Secret Service's biggest security crisis since the then president, Ronald Reagan, was shot in 1981 by a stalker of the actor Jodie Foster. Reagan survived the attack.

The Biden campaign will similarly be on high alert, given the failure of the Secret Service - which protects Joe Biden, as the incumbent president, as well as Trump, as a former president and current candidate - to prevent the shooting.

Given the stunning lapse in security at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a single gunman repeatedly shot at Trump from the roof of a building near the stage from which he was speaking, the already huge effort for the Milwaukee convention will be tightened further. A senior federal official told NBC that Republican national convention (RNC) security plans are being re-examined after the assassination attempt.