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California Governor Gavin Newsom has sent 61 extra law enforcement officers to help keep order at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
“Public safety transcends party lines. California is proud to support our law enforcement colleagues in Wisconsin during this important political event,” Newsom said in a statement on Sunday. “Working together, we are helping to provide a safe and secure environment for all participants at the Republican National Convention.”
The officers from the heavily Democratic state were on the scene as former president Donald Trump made his first appearance at the convention on Monday night. His right ear was bandaged after the attempted assassination on Saturday, after a gunman took aim at him during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Two people, including the gunman, were killed, and another two were critically injured.
The request for the officers was initially planned in May of this year, and it’s being coordinated by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). The security measures at the RNC have come under increased scrutiny following Saturday’s shooting.
Forty of the dispatched officers come from the California Highway Patrol, while other officers come from the police departments in Bakersfield, Fresno, and Long Beach.
The director of Cal OES, Nancy Ward, said in a statement on Sunday: “It is critical we support our law enforcement colleagues in Wisconsin and the safety of participants at this significant event.”
She added: “California’s peace officers are well-trained and experienced in handling large-scale events, and we are confident in their ability to enhance the security operations in Milwaukee.”
The California officers are working alongside other law enforcement agencies at the convention to take care of crowd management and traffic control, as well as public safety.
The officers were dispatched as part of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), which is an agreement among states that delivers support during planned events and emergencies.
Newsom spoke out after the attempt on Trump’s life in Pennsylvania.
“Violence has NO place in our democracy. My thoughts are with President Trump and everyone impacted at the rally today,” he wrote on X on Saturday.
The governor has previously faced criticism for comparing Trump to Nazi Germany leader Adolf Hitler.
“When they speak of immigrants poisoning American blood, and of mass deportations and detention camps, this is the language of destruction, of 1939,” Newsom said in a speech last month.
Florida Senator Rick Scott slammed such rhetoric on X on Saturday night: “Democrats and liberals in the media have called Trump a fascist. They’ve compared him to Hitler. They’ve tried to lock him up. They tried to remove his Secret Service protection. Just this week, @JoeBiden said he wanted to put Trump in the crosshairs. This isn’t some unfortunate incident. This was an assassination attempt by a madman inspired by the rhetoric of the radical left.”
The Secret Service said following the shooting that it has increased security at the RNC in Wisconsin.
Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle said in a statement on Monday: “I am confident in the security plan our Secret Service RNC coordinator and our partners have put in place, which we have reviewed and strengthened in the wake of Saturday’s shooting.”
