Spectators heading to Grand Rapids on Saturday to see former President Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance may see a beefed-up police presence in response to an assassination attempt at the July 13 rally in Pennsylvania, but screening protocols will be the same.
"As far as the screening process, we're going to continue to do the (metal detector) searches," said Douglas Zloto, special agent in charge of the Detroit field office of the Secret Service, which supervises the whole state. "We'll do the bag searches. As for the spectators, there should be no visible changes that a spectator will notice."
Zloto wouldn't discuss any behind-the-scenes changes at Van Andel Arena that may be in place in wake of the shooting last week at Trump's outdoor rally in Pennsylvania. One spectator was killed and two others were injured after a sniper opened fire on Trump, striking the former president's ear.
Zloto did say that in 2019, then-president Trump visited Van Andel Arena and that will be the blueprint for this visit.
"The service is treating this as close to what we did in 2019 as we can," Zloto said. "This is as close to presidential protection as we can, as we can get it."
He said he would expect additional personnel from local law enforcement partners, including the Grand Rapids Police, Kent County Sheriff's Office and the Michigan State Police.
Locals weren't saying much about their plans.
"The Grand Rapids Police Department is working closely with our federal partners on planning for Saturday’s campaign event, just as we have for past events and just as we will for future ones," Chief Eric Winstrom said in a statement to the Detroit Free Press. "We are approaching Saturday’s event in the same way we do for the myriad events, large and small, that take place in Grand Rapids — with solid operational planning, effective resource deployment, and an unwavering commitment to the safety of the community we serve.”
Michigan State Police did not release specific details on its plans: "We stand ready to assist them with whatever they need," State Police spokeswoman Shanon Banner said. "As a practice, we do not discuss security procedures."
The Kent County Sheriff’s Office said it is assisting the Secret Service and referred all questions to them.
Zloto said that after presidents leave office, they typically scale back their public appearances and don't draw large crowds. Trump is different because he has continued to draw large crowds as he seeks to return to the White House.
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He noted that both indoor and outdoor visits by former presidents pose security challenges that must be addressed.
"I will say this, the threat that was observed on Saturday at an outdoor rally, hopefully, will be incredibly diminished because of being an indoor event," he said.
Michigan-based political consultant Andrea Bitely said it will be interesting to see the crowd size.
"People who are considering going to a political rally might have second thoughts on whether they go or not," she said. "So we could turn this into an even more divided, in some ways, political process."
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She said avid Trump supporters will likely still turn out to see the former president.
Rob Cortis, 62, of Livonia, is an avid Trump fan who won't be in attendance, though not out of fear.
Cortis owns the Trump Unity Bridge and hauls it to rallies around the county, blasting patriotic music from a public address system. He also runs the Trump Unity Bridge Store in Livonia, which sells branded merchandise and patriotic swag.
He said he would be in Grand Rapids if he didn't have a prior commitment.
"The Wayne County Grassroots Republicans are hosting a fundraiser for the Trump Unity Bridge tour coming up," he said. "So we're gonna be hosting that in Livonia at the same date."
He thinks Trump supporters will still turn out in large numbers, despite last week's violence.
"I believe they'll be more encouraged to go to show their support," he said. "There'll be some people that don't want to go because they don't want to take a chance. But there's always been that."
He noted that Trump supporters have long known they can draw hostile reactions from people who dislike the former president. He has seen it in his store.
"There's people that say, 'I'm afraid to put a bumper sticker on my car because I don't want someone to just smash my car, break my windows,' " Cortis said. "So we have the magnetic bumper stickers where you can put it on while you're driving and take it off when you park."
Contact John Wisely: jwisely@freepress.com. On X @jwisely
