After shooting at Trump rally, local police prepare for presidential visit

President Joe Biden boards Air Force One at LaGuardia International Airport in New York on Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

AUSTIN (KXAN) — It’s 11 a.m. before President Joe Biden’s scheduled visit to Austin on Monday. As of Saturday evening, the president is still expected here. However, increased security measures may be in place following a shooting Saturday afternoon at a rally hosted by former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania.

The Secret Service has met several times with local police departments, including the University of Texas Police Department and the Austin Police Department, about the presidential visit, but those meetings were held behind closed doors and were never made public.

While we don’t know the details, we do know that Secret Service protocol is to ask local police about any threats they know about, even things as simple as planned protests. The Secret Service also generally shares its knowledge with officers in advance of events.

UTPD and APD declined to comment on the meetings when asked by KXAN.

Political consultant Luke Macias told KXAN that there is no place for actions like those that occurred in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

“This is a very sad day for the United States of America,” Macias said. “It reminds all of us that it is very important not to use rhetoric that encourages anyone to violence. This is not how our country was governed and this is not how we have resolved our political differences.”

The day before a major visit, be it by a sitting president or a candidate, security plans are generally finalized. That means a decision could be made on Sunday as to whether or not Biden will still visit Austin. At the time of this article’s publication, no plans had changed.