Thousands of people converged on Long Island Wednesday afternoon for former President Donald Trump's rally at the Nassau Coliseum, his first large-scale event following a second apparent attempt on his life over the weekend.
There was a brief scare earlier in the day, as Nassau County police said a person who may have been training a bomb detection dog near the Coliseum falsely reported explosives being found. That person was detained by police.
Security was understandably tight at the arena for the rally that comes just days after a Secret Service agent spotted a rifle poking out of the bushes outside Trump's golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, as he played, according to officials. The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, had been in the vicinity for nearly 12 hours, according to a criminal complaint.
Routh was taken into custody later Sunday and charged with federal gun crimes. On Long Island, Nassau County police said they swept the area outside the Coliseum and have snipers in place to react.
"My biggest concern is, we got high buildings. You got the Omni building, you got the Marriott behind me, you got the power plant here, you got across the street. You got the EAA building and you also have Sloan Kettering — we have them covered," said Nassau County Police Commissioner Pat Ryder.
The Trump campaign made general admission tickets available to the public for Wednesday's rally, with doors opening at 3 p.m., though people were advised to arrive hours earlier to ensure a spot inside. Gates opened around 8 a.m.
In what looked like a pre-game tailgate, Trump supporters set up early outside the Coliseum with flags, hats and posters in preparation for the rally.
"I’ve waited for this for almost a decade to be with Donald Trump," said Nancy Valentine, of Port Washington.
Those looking to attend the rally needed to register online for tickets. A spokesperson for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said they got 60,000 requests for tickets. Only about 15,000 people will be allowed inside. Anyone turned away at the door will be able to watch the rally on large screens outside of the venue.
Nassau County police are among the law enforcement agencies securing the rally, with federal agencies including the Secret Service in control of security, said Blakeman.
Officials have promised to put all their resources, including specialized units, to assist the Secret Service in securing Trump and his supporters. Nassau Police will have emergency services, the mounted unit and aviation assisting the FBI.
Tricked-out Trump-mobiles started filling the parking lots more than a full day ahead of the rally, pulling out chairs and tailgating to bide their time until the 7 p.m. event.
Outside the Coliseum, a group representing Haitian Americans denounced the baseless comments Trump and vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance have pushed recently about migrants eating stolen cats and dogs in Ohio.
The FBI is investigating the apparent assassination attempt.
Trump Rally on Long Island Draws Thousands Amid Tight Security
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder confirmed to NBC News that there's a heightened posture on the ground at Trump's rally following the apparent assassination attempt on him Sunday.
“That’s a big game,” he said. “That steps up for us.”
Ryder said he is “one hundred percent” confident in the security at the rally today.
The commissioner added that there had been a false report of a bomb being found outside the Nassau County Coliseum, saying a man had claimed he saw somebody with a bomb running through the woods.
“That individual claimed he was a canine expert for private security company. He is not a canine expert. … But that individual is being detained by us right now,” Ryder said.
“Social media is a great tool,” Ryder told NBC News. “When it’s abused, it makes us work harder. So everything’s got to be run down. Everything’s got to be checked out. At the end of the day, everybody goes home safe.”
False Bomb Reports Dismissed by Nassau County Police
Law enforcement officials on Long Island worked quickly on Wednesday to publicly knock down social media posts falsely reporting that explosives had been found in a car near former President Donald Trump’s planned rally in New York.
The false reports of an explosive began circulating hours before the Republican presidential nominee’s campaign event at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, just days after he was apparently the target of a second possible assassination attempt.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said police questioned and detained a person who “may have been training a bomb detection dog,” near the site of the rally and “falsely reported explosives being found.”
Lt. Scott Skrynecki, a spokesperson for the county police, said in follow-up messages that the person, who police have not yet identified, was a civilian and not a member of a law enforcement agency.
He also said the person was not working at or affiliated with the event, which is expected to draw thousands of Trump supporters to the arena that was formerly the home of the NHL’s New York Islanders.
