Sheriff Mike Williams said that due to lack of plans, funding, and law enforcement officers, he can’t provide security for Trump’s GOP convention.
“As we’re talking today, we are still not close to having some kind of plan that we can work with that makes me comfortable that we’re going to keep that event and the community safe,†Duval County Sheriff Mike Williams told POLITICO.
“It’s not my event to plan, but I can just tell you that what has been proposed in my opinion is not achievable right now … from a law enforcement standpoint, from a security standpoint.â€
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In early July, the Florida Sheriffs Association asked departments in the state’s 67 counties for 2,000 officers, according to an email obtained by POLITICO. But only 500 were able to go, Bob Gualtieri, president of the association and Pinellas County Sheriff told POLITICO over the weekend. Williams also asked the Florida Police Chiefs Association for help, but he’s still coming up short.
The lack of security might be the death blow for an event that Trump’s own campaign has been planning to cancel for weeks. Trump is the sole driving force that is pushing for an in-person convention. The lesson is that a presidential convention can’t be picked up and moved like it is a sofa. There are logistics and planning involved that Trump never bothered to comprehend.
His convention was probably already toast, but the lack of security has made it a near certainty that Trump won’t be holding Make Coronavirus Great Again convention in Jacksonville.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
