Pentagon approves additional support to Secret Service for election campaigns

Washington: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has approved a request to provide the Secret Service with additional military support capabilities for presidential and vice presidential candidates for the upcoming election, the Pentagon and the Secret Service said separately on Thursday.

Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh did not provide details on the type of support that would be provided but said Austin had directed US Northern Command to plan and provide support to the Secret Service at various locations during the election.

A Secret Service spokesperson said later the Secret Service has strengthened its protective operations following the July 13 Pennsylvania rally of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in which the former president was shot and survived an assassination attempt.

"As part of this effort, the Department of Defense is providing the U.S. Secret Service with additional assistance including logistics, transportation, and communications, through the 2024 campaign season," the Secret Service spokesperson said.

Security at Trump's Butler, Pennsylvania, rally came under scrutiny over concerns about how the suspect was able to access a nearby rooftop with a direct line of sight to where Trump was speaking.

The Secret Service has said it was "ashamed" of the security lapse and its chief stepped down in the aftermath.

A rally attendee was killed in the shooting and two others were wounded. The FBI has not yet been able to determine what motivated the shooting suspect.

Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris are in a tight race for the Nov. 5 US elections.