Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Protecting Trump From Assassins, Virginia-Style

—

by

James A. Bacon
in

Mike Imprevento is not only my partner on “The Kerry and Mike” talk radio show (9 to 10 every weekday!) but a successful attorney and until recently, a Captain and Staff Attorney for the Norfolk’s Sheriff’s Office. It was in his latter capacity that he was part of the law enforcement team that protected Donald Trump during the former president’s Chesapeake rally last month.

The assassination attempt last weekend spurred him to write about his experience at the earlier Trump rally. Mike wrote this in his personal capacity. — Kerry Dougherty

By Mike Imprevento

This never would have happened in Chesapeake. The attempted assassination of Donald Trump, that is.

On June 28, 2024 in the City of Chesapeake, thousands of patriots who love this country and support former President Trump came together to hear his message. The venue, Greenbrier Farms, presented challenges just as Butler, PA did.

That is for later.

Despite the long wait in the heat and delays in the screening process, the attendees saw and experienced a celebration of political speech and freedom in a volatile political season. Trump brought a bevy of Virginia’s elected representatives and former political figures on the stage. All were safe. All were secure.

What follows is why.

Continue reading

Share this article

ADVERTISEMENT

(comments below)

ADVERTISEMENT

(comments below)

Comments

51 responses to “Protecting Trump From Assassins, Virginia-Style”

  1. Stephen Haner Avatar
    Stephen Haner

    Fifty years ago, as an intern reporter I had a conversation with an agent who was part of VP Gerald Ford's detail. He was in Roanoke to campaign for Caldwell Butler and it was just weeks, perhaps days, before Nixon resigned. Anyway, I asked the young agent what the worst part of the job was, and he quickly said, "when he plays golf."

    Heads need to roll in the Secret Service and those local police. It was another Uvalde, totally avoidable deaths and injuries but for cops screwing up.

    1. WayneS Avatar
      WayneS

      An interesting (at least to me) side note: I looked it up yesterday, and the head of the Secret Service did not lose his job even after two people in a single month got close enough to [try to] shoot president Ford with a handgun. In fact he was still head of the Secret Service when Ronald Reagan was shot.

      …which means it was his responsibility to protect Jimmy Carter from that killer rabbit!

      The guy's name was H. Stuart Knight.

  2. Eric the half a troll Avatar
    Eric the half a troll

    We still do not really know what happened in any real detail. It sure looks like a security fiasco but we should withhold judgment until everything is known – if it ever actually will be. Kind of inexplicable that there are absolutely no public statements about Trump’s injuries and how they were actually received and treated. The lack of media scrutiny on this topic is really unprecedented.

    1. WayneS Avatar
      WayneS

      We know how his injury as sustained. A photographer named Doug Mills took a photo in which you can actually see the path of the bullet as it begins to pass behind Trump's head.

      https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/14/politics/video/doug-mills-trump-rally-photo-src-digvid

      ADDENDUM: By the way, I do not disagree with you that the public should get an explanation as to the extent of the injury and the required treatment.

      1. Stephen Haner Avatar
        Stephen Haner

        Eric is holding out for the bee sting theory.

        1. Nancy Naive Avatar
          Nancy Naive

          I believe it’s the shattered teleprompter theory.

          The bullet photo, if real (apparently a lot of buzz on the photographer sites), is certainly proof for me.

          (From memory) “Nothing is more exhilarating than to be shot at without consequence.”

          1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            Even if real, it does not mean the teleprompter theory is incorrect. Both could be true after all. I don’t subscribe to either but feel that the media is being unusually uninterested.

          2. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Prior to the shooting, is there even a teleprompter on that side?

            Occam’s razor applies for me. Assuming the bullet sends shards of glass flying, and the President suffered but a single wound, the easiest explanation is the bullet rather than a single shard. Or, as Hillary would ask, “What difference does it make?”

          3. Stephen Haner Avatar
            Stephen Haner

            Shot or cut while falling, it remains he was shot at and that is why he dropped. Indeed, machts nichts.

          4. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            A bullet anywhere nearby is one too many, unless Cheney is hunting dove.

            to me, the single most amazing thing is not security failure, those are common, but that the kid could show up with the weapon and in short order see that side of the roof was shielded from the snipers’ view while providing a CLOS to the podium. He was covered by the crown of the roof while he positioned himself.

          5. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Bigger fish to fry? Why waste time determining the source of the wound when they can point out how old Biden is, or how Biden raised the threat by saying Trump’s fascist statements are fascist.

          6. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            Prior to the shooting, is there even a teleprompter on that side?

            I've looked at videos from several different angles and I cannot see a teleprompter positioned in such a way that a bullet fired from the shooter's vantage point would be able to shatter the teleprompter and send fragments in Mr. Trump's direction.

            Admittedly, I've not actually visited the scene. I'm pretty good with angles and trajectories, though.

        2. Eric the half a troll Avatar
          Eric the half a troll

          Haner, I find the lack of media inquiry into his injuries and treatment rather unusual…

          1. Stephen Haner Avatar
            Stephen Haner

            And I have long complained that the media in this country is all but dead. Yes, a statement from the treating physician would be a reasonable thing to expect, especially if some effort was made a reconstructing the damage. (The days of news releases on presidential bowel movements went too far in the other direction.)

          2. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            That is all I was saying.

      2. Eric the half a troll Avatar
        Eric the half a troll

        I have read several reports that he was hit by a teleprompter shattering glass. My point is that there is zero information either offered or sought and that seems very strange these days.

        1. Stephen Haner Avatar
          Stephen Haner

          Hahahahahaha. Man, now that is funny. You people are just as deranged as anybody on the other side. As to the media, well, that's your team, almost 100%.

          What I want to know is what camera at what setting caught that bullet in flight. Pulitzer shot.

        2. Stephen Haner Avatar
          Stephen Haner

          Hahahahahaha. Man, now that is funny. You people are just as deranged as anybody on the other side. As to the media, well, that's your team, almost 100%.

          What I want to know is what camera at what setting caught that bullet in flight. Pulitzer shot.

          1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            In what way, Haner? Here is an early report to that effect.

            https://www.rawstory.com/amp/trump-was-hit-by-glass-fragments-not-a-bullet-report-2668742356

            We don’t actually know because there is absolutely no information available (probably rightly so given the investigation status).

          2. Stephen Haner Avatar
            Stephen Haner

            FYI, I have the same level of disdain for the R's who think this was a Democratic plot and the USSS intentionally stood down. Amazing place we find ourselves, when what we see with our own eyes is doubted by partisans. Shots were fired. Somebody closer to the shooter died. Trump simultaneously grabbed his ear and grimaced. A photo shows a bullet trail.

          3. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            I actually don’t think it is important whether he was hit by a bullet or a shard of glass… interesting but not important.

          4. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            Seriously? Newsmax and Axios? Really?

            If I posted something and used Newsmax as a source you would [rightfully] deride me for it.

          5. Eric the half a troll Avatar
            Eric the half a troll

            I am not arguing validity. I am just showing what I read and what they are referencing. If the mainstream sources had any information, they would be more reliable to be sure. They don’t.

          6. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            In the interview I heard the photographer say it was a Sony. Since the guy is a professional I'm going to assume it was top of the line, so probably an Alpha 1 (a fantastic camera).

            I have no idea what settings he was using but it's an amazing photo.

            And it is not a fake. It was uploaded within about 30 minutes of the event. The photographer did not even notice the bullet trace at first.

          7. Stephen Haner Avatar
            Stephen Haner

            Just like Rosenthal had no idea what he had on his film at Suribachi. He first saw the photo in the magazine.

          8. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
            Dick Hall-Sizemore

            He said he had set the shutter speed at 1/8,000th of a second. I can't even begin to grasp something that fast. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/14/us/politics/photo-path-trump-assassination.html

          9. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            Wow. 1/8,000 is the absolute absolute fastest my Canon 7D can shoot, but even in an ideal setting the photos are not as sharp and crisp as the one Mr. Mills got of Mr. Trump. I've gotten a few nice shots of hockey pucks in mid-air, but they tend to move considerably slower than a bullet…

            The Canon 7D is a great camera, but it's pretty clear the Sony Alpha 1 is far superior. Of course, it's far "superior" in price, too. The Alpha 1 camera body, with no lenses or accessories, runs close to $7,000 retail. I paid less than $400 for my 'pre-owned' 7D (including two so-so lenses).

            Modern camera technology is nothing short of amazing.

  3. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    I think anytime you do rallies in outdoor venues on relatively short notice, you're pushing the limits of 100% security -regardless of who you are or what party or anything else… just the plain fact that outdoor rally's are inherently problematical. We hear stories of really good snipers being able to be a half mile or mile away being successful so I don't know if there is a 1/2 mile of sight distance, how you'd actually get effective security. There is no question in my mind that a good sniper at that Pennsylvania venue, much further away (200-300 meters) than the actual killer, would be just as much or more of a deadly threat. And a "good" sniper would be a team with two or three separate vantage points, not easily seen, etc.

    1. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      And Larry cannot help himself but must always Defend Government, source of All Things Good. Especially a federal agency run by his Preferred Party. All they needed was a bored cop on top of that roof, Larry. But even absent that, the operational commanders had all the warnings they needed to either keep Trump offstage until the reported threats were investigated or to whisk him off before any shot was fired. Apparently dozens saw this shooter long before he ever got into firing position, even saw him use a range finder. He was lying on top of a building used by the security team. The people involved should have already resigned in disgrace.

    2. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      And Larry cannot help himself but must always Defend Government, source of All Things Good. Especially a federal agency run by his Preferred Party. All they needed was a bored cop on top of that roof, Larry. But even absent that, the operational commanders had all the warnings they needed to either keep Trump offstage until the reported threats were investigated or to whisk him off before any shot was fired. Apparently dozens saw this shooter long before he ever got into firing position, even saw him use a range finder. He was lying on top of a building used by the security team. The people involved should have already resigned in disgrace.

      1. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        Yeah, NOW that you KNOW where that guy was, you can claim "all they had to do".

        I'm not defending govt at all. Clearly a major failure but again as I point out, you have tree lines out the wazoo… at many outdoor venues, and if they did not check that roof, chances are pretty good, they did not do so well on the distant tree lines either.

        We KILL bad guy terrorist overseas with snipers far further away than that rooftop.

        You do a rally on short term notice in an outdoor venue, and the level of security needed is many times what an indoor venue is. You'd need many more security people and more advance time to actuall secure the site.

        And we have not even talked about drones carrying weapons/explosives…and such.

        1. WayneS Avatar
          WayneS

          And we have not even talked about drones carrying weapons/explosives…and such.

          Speaking of drones, I'd like to know why the Secret Service was not utilizing drones as a security measure.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            me too.

      2. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        Let trump hire the Hell’s Angels. Worked for the Stones.

        1. LarrytheG Avatar
          LarrytheG

          I've actually been to two separate POTUS outdoor venues. One was at (what used to be called) A.P. Hill for a Boy Scout Jamboree and the other at Kitty Hawk. I can't remember precisely what they did do at either venue but the Kitty Hawk one, they took my swiss army knife… chucked in giant cardboard boxes with all the other pocket knives…

          1. Randy Huffman Avatar
            Randy Huffman

            I was at AP Hill when Bush spoke, maybe we ran into each other! (though you may have gone a different year) I remember they had to postpone for a couple days due to Severe Thunderstorms, I only made a day trip and got back home at 2 AM.

            Anyway, security was intense, there were armed guard everywhere and behind the stage by about 100 yards was a forest, and you could see soldiers everywhere. I went with some BSA Leaders and one was familiar with security, and he said there were likely snipers in trees all around, probably using deer stands.

            Back to Butler, I still cannot believe that roof was not manned. Seems like security 101, and to your point, anything much further out too. If this was a oppressional up there with a good rifle, we would be watching funeral services right now, not the RNC

          2. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            I do now remember the significant presence of military at A.P. Hill, including in the treeline… I “thought”
            that drones would be very much used in outdoor venues…to search and monitor the places where snipers
            could be. I’ll wait for the investigation but I thought the short time fuze on outdoor rallies makes it much
            harder to secure a site.

        2. WayneS Avatar
          WayneS

          Yes, it worked for the Stones. For their fans? Not so much…

          1. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Small price

      3. Matt Adams Avatar
        Matt Adams

        Would you like to hear what makes it even worse, the building from where the shooter perched was the officer staging area.

        3 Days is all that is required to complete a site assessment for the SS, they can even do it on 1 if required. I would like the see the range cards, clearly the building was identified as the counter sniper's sector of fire had the shooter in it.

        Beyond that, 165 meters is a shot a 10 year old could make with open sights, Trumps saving grave was he moved his head and the shooter was rushed, which is why the Military teaches center mass shots.

  4. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    The greatest danger in attempted assassination (as opposed to a successful one**) is the creation of copycats. Think school shootings. Risks to all candidates just got a major lift.

    **the conclusion that risk increases then applies for N-1 candidates.

    1. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      No argument there. That probably was the last big outdoor rally.

      1. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        Shouldn’t Wallace’s outdoor rally have been the last one?
        Shouldn’t Ford’s walk down Main Street have been the last one?

        My concern is down ballot. MTG and AOC now have to shell out bucks for secure venues.

        1. Stephen Haner Avatar
          Stephen Haner

          Who would want to harm America's sweethearts?

          1. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Each other? Same with Heathers everywhere.

          2. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Each other? Same with Heathers everywhere.

  5. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    What if they held a Trump Rally with “No Guns Permitted”?

    How could you be sure it wasn’t a BLM protest?

    1. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      what? no "open carry" ?

  6. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
    James Wyatt Whitehead

    In February of 1864 Colonel Ulric Dahlgren launched a raid on Richmond. His orders? Free the POWs at Libby Prison, burn the city, and kill President Jefferson Davis and his cabinet. The raid was a complete failure. One of my kinsmen, Lt. James Pollard tracked down Dahlgren and dispatched him. The event inflamed the war to a new level. Some historians claim this was the moment John Wilkes Boothe began his plot against Lincoln. Moral of the story? Never send a one legged man to do the job required of two legs.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f82ea534e1b82740e9d9d18f5b1cdb6f0764691b9d12c563cf450aa847b4be4e.jpg

  7. Clarity77 Avatar
    Clarity77

    Meanwhile at Virginia's flagship university, one of Ryan's DEI faculty hires by the name of Sethunya Mokoko weighs in with characteristic "great and good" insight pronouncing the assassination attempt as "fake" and "staged" designed to gain the "votes of idiots."

    So far whether it is the Secret Service or UVA, DEI-based hiring has certainly enhanced the reputation of those institutions who choose to use it as opposed to merit, right? Another way leftists always know better, right?

  8. Eric the half a troll Avatar
    Eric the half a troll

    "When the F.B.I. was able to finally access Mr. Crooks’s cellphones and other electronic devices, agents could see that he had searched for images of Mr. Trump as well as President Biden, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and even F.B.I. Director Christopher A. Wray.

    Mr. Crooks also had at typed in “major depressive disorder” and searched for dates and places for appearances for both Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump.

    One of Mr. Trump’s planned appearances happened to be about 50 miles from Mr. Crooks’s house in Bethel Park, Pa."

    So it looks like this was nothing more than another mentally ill person with easy access to guns whose delusions led him to attempt to assassinate any government official … Trump just happened to be the easiest target.

Leave a Reply

Read More