After an attempt was made on the life of former President Donald Trump Saturday, Virginia’s elected officials and the police force that protects them jumped into action.
A Capitol Police spokesman said in a statement Monday morning that they couldn’t discuss operational specifics following the attack on former President Trump, but added the agency was taking steps to ensure public officials were safe.
Spokesman Joe Macenka said the Chief of Capitol Police spoke with leadership across state law enforcement agencies as well as elected officials and discussed security ahead of Thursday’s special session. Macenka said Capitol Police will be prepared in part thanks to “many resources, they won't hesitate to use.”
At an event in Richmond Monday morning Henrico County Delegate Rodney Willet said he was confident they’d keep him and other lawmakers safe.
“This is a super unfortunate circumstance, what happened to former President Trump, but I can tell you Capitol Police always have our back,” Willet said.
Governor Glenn Youngkin and leadership from both legislative chambers sent out messages of condolences for Trump and those who were killed or wounded over the weekend.
In a joint statement from House Speaker Don Scott and Minority Leader Todd Gilbert, they said, “There's no place for violence in politics,” and “every American has the right to gather peacefully and participate in our political system."
In a brief phone call Monday Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell told Radio IQ he was grateful for the Secret Service’s quick actions Saturday, and he had confidence in the “oldest police force in the commonwealth.”
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
