Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas delivered the following remarks at the White House Press Briefing in Washington, DC.
Thank you very much, Karine. Good afternoon.
At the very outset, I want to echo what President Biden said last night: Our entire Administration is grateful that former President Trump is okay. Our hearts and prayers are with the family of Corey Comperatore. We pray for the full and swift recovery of those who were injured on Saturday.
We are thankful for the heroic agents of the United States Secret Service who so quickly and bravely responded to the threat at Saturday’s campaign event.
We unequivocally condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the violence our nation witnessed that day. Such acts are unacceptable in our country and in our democracy.
Both President Biden and former President Trump are constantly the subject of threats. We are in a heightened and very dynamic threat environment. The United States Secret Service – we, including the FBI and our other partners across the federal government – take the threats very seriously and adjust security measures as warranted. Maintaining the safety and security of the President, the former President, and their campaign events is one of our most vital priorities.
In light of this weekend’s events, the President has directed me to work with the Secret Service to provide protection to Robert Kennedy, Jr.
Both prior to and after the events of this past weekend, the Secret Service enhanced former President Trump’s protection, based on the evolving nature of threats to the former President and his imminent shift from presumptive nominee to nominee. This includes enhancements related to securing the former President during the Republican National Convention this week.
I cannot discuss specifics of the protection or the enhancements made, as they involve sensitive tactics and procedures. I can say, however, that personnel and other protective resources, technology, and capabilities have been added.
At the RNC, we have steadily increased the implementation of significant physical and technical enhancements at every protective venue in support of protectees, including miles of anti-scale fencing, screening technology, and tactical support. We are also leveraging strong relationships across the law enforcement community, including agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Transportation Security Administration, and state and local law enforcement agencies, all of whom have been deployed at the convention.
Since the attempted assassination of former President Trump, we across the government are focused with urgency to understand how it happened. At President Biden’s direction, an independent review of the incident will be conducted – one that will examine the Secret Service’s and other law enforcement actions before, during, and after the shooting, to identify the immediate and longer-term corrective actions required to ensure that the no-fail mission of protecting national leaders is most effectively met.
The men and women of the Secret Service have one of the most solemn and difficult jobs in government. Their work involves tremendous sacrifice, risk, and bravery. We saw those qualities in action on the stage at this past Saturday’s event.
With respect to the tragic event of Saturday, the FBI is leading the criminal investigation, which is ongoing. An independent review will be conducted to understand the facts regarding protection of the event and make findings and recommendations accordingly. I will therefore not be able to comment on the facts subject to investigation and review at this time.
With that, I will take your questions.