Trudeau minister receives security briefing following Trump shooting, refuses disclosure of details

The RCMP and Canadian intelligence apparatus have briefed Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

“They went through the threat landscape,” said Minister LeBlanc. “They talked to me about the additional vigilance that they’ve put in place since the assassination attempt.”

When asked about specific security measures, LeBlanc refused to elaborate. “I am confident that the RCMP will do what’s necessary to protect elected leaders in Canada,” he said.

LeBlanc told reporters Monday he exchanged texts with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to assure him extra precaution had been taken for visits by foreign dignitaries.

Minister LeBlanc acknowledged threats of violence against Canadian politicians in recent years. He refused disclosure of those details.

“It can in fact encourage other people to behave and to do things that are obviously unacceptable in a democracy,” he said.

LeBlanc told reporters the Trudeau government has extended additional RCMP funding in recent years to ensure the agency has “all the tools necessary and the people necessary.”

Over the 2022/23 fiscal year, the RCMP spent $1.8 million to protect MPs — up from $1.3 million the year before. Should spending maintain the same pace, security costs this fiscal year could hit $3.4 million.

The RCMP typically protects political party leaders only during election campaigns. Backbench MPs and parliamentary secretaries usually don't receive RCMP protection.

Minister LeBlanc said maintaining their safety will bode well when attracting people to public life.

“If you see discussions about threats of violence, about intimidation, about attacks on social media, it’s going to be harder to get good people to come forward and offer themselves to the service of their communities,” he notes.

RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme raised concerns in an interview with The Canadian Press last month about the greater number of threats against elected officials. He said most cases do not meet the threshold to lay a criminal charge under Canadian law.

Duheme expressed hope that Public Safety Canada and the Department of Justice would work with the RCMP to address the growing problem.

An intelligence report last June claimed ‘extremist narratives’ tied to personal grievances have “increasingly normalized” threats against politicians.

Justice Minister Arif Virani said last month that the Trudeau Liberals are open to ways the issue can be better addressed. On the table is “empowering” hate crimes units to counter threats against elected officials. “There aren't as many as there needs to be,” Virani said.

On Saturday, a lone gunman allegedly fired live ammunition in succession at the presidential candidate during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump escaped death when a bullet pierced his right ear just after 6:10 p.m.

The FBI identified the gunman as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Law enforcement have yet to ascertain his motive.

Trump was showing border crossing numbers when the shots were fired from an adjacent rooftop. Secret Service snipers neutralized the target within seconds.

Following the attack on Trump, President Joe Biden ordered an independent review of the security breakdown.

Crooks killed at least one person and critically injured two others.

The FBI are treating the shooting as an assassination attempt and an act of domestic terrorism. Preliminary efforts suggest he acted alone.

Alex Dhaliwal

Calgary Based Journalist

Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.

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