Following the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, the Chicago Police Department has turned its attention to the Trump International Hotel and Tower in downtown Chicago.
A Chicago Police spokesman declined to say exactly how many officers were on patrol but acknowledged they were “dedicating appropriate resources and providing special attention” to Trump’s flagship property in Illinois.
Security was also stepped up at Mar-a-Lago, but it was unclear whether additional security measures had been taken at the former president’s golf courses, hotels and residential towers across the country, a day after a man was arrested at Trump’s Palm Beach golf course.
Politico contacted nine facilities in five states, but most did not respond to requests for comment or said their security levels had not changed. It’s unclear what additional security procedures will be implemented at facilities owned and frequented by Trump, and it’s an important data point in the debate over whether Trump should beef up security given the recent threats to lives.
The Secret Service, which has come under fire for its response to the assassination attempt on President Trump at a rally in July, is partnering with local law enforcement agencies to implement security plans to protect the nation’s most important political leader.
In New York City, there was a noticeable NYPD presence around Trump Tower on Monday morning, with several police vehicles parked around the skyscraper and uniformed officers at the entrance, but pedestrians and tourists were allowed to walk through and take photos in front of the entrance as usual.
A spokesperson for the New York Police Department did not respond to a request for information about increased or strengthened security at Trump Tower or other New York City locations. Alan Garten, an attorney for the Trump Organization, did not respond to a request for the same information.
The Los Angeles County sheriff’s department, which oversees law enforcement in Rancho Palos Verdes, where the Trump National Golf Club is located, has not stepped up security. Trump held a press conference at the golf course on Friday. A watchdog commander for the Lomita Sheriff’s Station told Politico that neither the club nor the Secret Service had requested any additional measures. The club’s general manager did not return calls seeking comment.
A Bedminster police spokesman said: “We are unable to comment on any matters relating to security on or around the premises.”
Trump’s properties in Nevada, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C., did not respond to requests for comment.
At a press conference on Monday, acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. defended the level of security provided when Trump participated in an “unofficial” golf outing – a timeline that was not made public for the former president.
“What we did yesterday was execute an emergency plan based on the number of tactical assets we have and the highest level of protection we have,” Rowe said.
Rowe ordered a “paradigm shift” following the July assassination attempt on President Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, which he said was effective Sunday when Secret Service agents spotted a man with a gun along the Mar-a-Lago golf course.
“But it did give me guidance that, given where we are right now in this dynamic threat environment, we need to look at what our defensive techniques are,” he said.
Dustin Racioppi, Melanie Mason, Gary Fineout and Paul Demko contributed to this report.
