The director of the Secret Service met with Senate Republicans on Tuesday to discuss the party’s efforts to move expected protesters further away from the site of the Republican National Convention, scheduled for July in Milwaukee.
Republican officials and lawmakers have raised concerns about the designated demonstration zone near the convention venue, arguing that it could lead to conflicts between protesters and attendees. In late April, a lawyer for the Republican National Committee proposed in a letter that the Secret Service expand the security perimeter around the Fiserv Forum, the convention venue.
The meeting was requested by Senator Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate, who expressed concerns in a letter on Friday about potential conflicts between attendees and demonstrators at the convention where Donald J. Trump is expected to be officially nominated as the party’s presidential candidate for 2024.
Senator Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, stated in an interview with a local television station in Milwaukee that he was among the senators who met with Kimberly A. Cheatle, the director of the Secret Service.
Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the Secret Service, confirmed that Ms. Cheatle briefed members of the U.S. Senate on the security plan for the convention, emphasizing that the security perimeter was established based on various security considerations.
Republicans have pointed to recent protests on college campuses, the murder of George Floyd in 2020, and the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, as reasons for their concerns about potential conflicts at the convention.
The Coalition to March on the RNC, a group organizing demonstrations at the convention, plans to protest Republican policies on various issues, including the war in Gaza, abortion rights, and climate change.
The group criticized Republicans for attempting to limit their First Amendment rights and stated their intention to march near the convention venue despite objections from Republicans.
Maggie Haberman contributed reporting.
