In the wake of the apparent 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 Department spokesman said the agency does not release exact patrol numbers, but acknowledged that it is giving Trump’s flagship property in Illinois “special attention with appropriate resources.”
Security has also been heightened at Mar-a-Lago, but the day after a man was arrested at Trump’s Palm Beach golf course, it is unclear whether additional security measures have been taken at the former president’s golf courses, hotels and residential towers around the country.
POLITICO reached out to nine properties in five states, and most of them either did not respond to requests for comment or said the level of security has not changed. The uncertain nature of the additional security protocols at businesses Trump owns (and often frequents) is an important factor in the conversation about whether he should receive increased security, given the recent threats to his life.
The Secret Service, which has been criticized for its handling of the first assassination attempt against Trump at a rally in July, partners with local law enforcement to carry out security plans to protect the nation’s most important political leaders.
In New York City, the New York Police Department had a visible presence Monday morning around Trump Tower, with several police vehicles parked around the perimeter of the skyscraper and uniformed officers at the entrance. However, pedestrians and tourists were allowed to pass through and pose for photos at the entrance as usual.
Requests to NYPD spokespeople about increased or reinforced security at Trump Tower and other New York City properties were not returned. Requests to Trump Organization attorney Alan Garten on the same topic were also not answered.
The Los Angeles County sheriff, who oversees law enforcement in Rancho Palos Verdes, the town where Trump National Golf Club is located, has not increased security. Trump held a news conference at the course on Friday. The watch commander at the sheriff’s station in Lomita told POLITICO that neither the club nor the Secret Service have requested additional measures. The club’s general manager did not return a call seeking comment.
A Bedminster police spokesman said: “We are unable to comment on anything regarding the safety of the property or its surroundings.”
Requests for comment at Trump properties in Nevada, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C., were not returned.
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr., speaking at a news conference Monday, defended the level of security provided to Trump while the president participated in an “off-the-record” round of golf, meaning the former president’s schedule was not made public.
“What we did yesterday was exercise our contingency plan based on the number of tactical assets and the highest level of protection we are providing,” Rowe said.
Following the attempted assassination of Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania in July, Rowe said he ordered a “paradigm shift” that worked Sunday when Secret Service officers spotted a man with a gun on the Mar-a-Lago golf course.
“But the way we are positioned now in this dynamic threat environment has given me the direction to say, we need to look at what our protection methodology is,” he said.
Dustin Racioppi, Melanie Mason, Gary Fineout and Paul Demko contributed to this report.
