As Michigan delegates head to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to kick off the Republican National Convention, they know security at and around the Fiserv Forum is in the spotlight.
Mark Forton, Macomb County Republican Party Chair, is among a group of delegates and alternates from Metro Detroit attending the RNC this week.
“They have you go through the metal detector and put all of your stuff in the tray,” Forton said as he detailed some of the security measures at the RNC convention arena.
Forton continued:
“It was typical. There’s a large area barricaded off around the building, which I would expect, actually. A lot of police. Police from different states. Michigan, Indiana, and, naturally, Secret Service is everywhere.”
The Secret Service and Milwaukee Police Department have told the public they are ready to keep the four-day convention safe and secure. Officials said that a security plan was developed over 18 months.
However, the recent assassination attempt on Former President Donald Trump over the weekend remains top of mind for many RNC goers.
“Makes us suspicious as to what actually happened that day,” Forton said.
Many delegates want answers about the security breakdowns at the rally in Pennsylvania where the shooting happened.
A gunman was allowed to scale a wall to a roof as witnesses watched him position himself to fire shots into a crowd and toward Trump.
“I think that security is much aware of their failures that day,” Forton said. “I mean, it’s really fishy that day, in my opinion. I’m sorry. That roof was not secured. I’d like to know why. I’d like to know who was in charge of securing that roof. Because, normally, that’s what they would do to secure buildings in high places and a certain perimeter. And it was not secured.”
As questions linger, Forton said he’s eagerly focused on hearing Trump’s speech, voting on his party’s Presidential nominee, and hearing more from J.D. Vance, the politician he announced as his Vice Presidential nominee.