'Safest place in Michigan': Police chief, attendees feel safe at first Trump rally post-assassination attempt

GRAND RAPIDS — Trump rallies are always as much a festival or revival as they are political campaign events.

People routinely tailgate, blasting music or chanting any of the slogans that accompanied former President Donald Trump’s successful 2016 run for the White House.

And merchants, everywhere, try to sell garb. Typically, it’s a mix of shirts or hats with “Make America Great Again” or attacks on President Joe Biden. Some of that party atmosphere remained Saturday afternoon in Grand Rapids, hours before Trump and his vice presidential pick, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, prepared to take the stage at Van Andel Arena. The flags remained, people laughed and joked, and remnants of marijuana smoke permeated the air atop the hundreds waiting to enter the event.

But one week after a gunman at a Pennsylvania rally tried to assassinate Trump, much of that swag — and security — seemed a little different .

Hundreds of shirts depicted a now-famous image of a bloodied Trump, fist in the air, as Secret Service agents tried to hurry him offstage following the shooting. Other wares offered mixed messages, both thankful and defiant.

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“God protected President Trump,” said some shirts, adorned with red crosses.

“You missed, b----,” said another shirt, worn by an attendee waiting to enter Van Andel Arena.

Trump’s first rally since the shooting , and first since announcing Vance as his running mate, comes with obvious national attention. And increased expectations bring scrutiny, acknowledged Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom.

Adorned in uniform, Winstrom walked around outside the arena hours before the rally, chatting with news media, other officers and attendees. Chief since 2021, he said the roughly 150 officers patrolling the event represented the largest police presence at any event he’d overseen since taking over.

“(Big events are) something we do a lot. But I tell you, coming from the incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, it definitely puts everybody in a heightened level of awareness of how important this is,” Winstrom said.

“I’d say this is probably the safest place in Michigan, if not the United States right now.”

They weren’t alone: County law enforcement helped outside. Dump trucks and emergency vehicles obstructed streets blocks from the arena. Using a combination of metal detectors and wands, Secret Service agents teamed with Transportation Security Administration officers to screen attendees.

Cindy Anderson, 50, and Owen Anderson, 16, arrived at the arena at 8 a.m., about nine hours before Trump was scheduled to start speaking. The mother and son from Sanilac County have never attended a Trump event before, but the shooting did not scare them off from supporting their preferred presidential candidate.

“I just feel that this is meant to happen, and we’re on the right path for our country and I don’t feel scared at all,” Cindy said.

“I think security is fine. They’ve closed off the roads, the dump trucks. That kind of shows you that nobody’s going to ram gates. That feels pretty safe.”

Ron Picard, 62, traveled from Plymouth to come support Trump and Vance. He also didn’t feel scared to attend the rally.

“Trump was the target, it wasn’t a mass, 'let’s-hit-the-crowd’ or anything like that. I think security will definitely be on their toes today,” Picard said.

While Trump was targeted in what law enforcement has said was an assassination attempt, a member of the crowd, Corey Comperatore, died in the Pennsylvania shooting . In opening remarks at the Grand Rapids rally, U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, prayed for the shooting victims.

Inside the arena ahead of Trump's speech, it felt like any other large commercial event. Vendors sold hot dogs and popcorn, Trump's campaign playlist still featured "Nessun dorma" and "Rich men North of Richmond," and conservative television broadcasters touted Trump's impending remarks.

It should all feel routine to people like Sue Hayes. The 56 year old made the three-hour trip from Lamont, Illinois, to see the president. She's focused on Trump's plan to combat inflation and changes to immigration policy, not security.

"I have faith in those who are around protecting me right now. And I just have faith, and I have faith in me. I think we're going to be OK," she said.

Contact Dave Boucher: dboucher@freepress.com and on X, previously called Twitter, @Dave_Boucher1.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 'Safest place in Michigan': Police chief, attendees feel safe at first Trump rally post-assassination attempt