Police chiefs have warned that there is an ‘increased’ risk of someone ‘targeting’ the Ryder Cup to ‘make a statement’ in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
The conservative political activist, an ally and friend of President Trump, was shot during an event in Utah earlier this month.
Two weeks on, Trump is expected to attend Bethpage Black for the opening day of the 45th clash between Europe and the USA.
That has only added another layer of complication to an already vast security operation which is ‘on par’ with a Super Bowl and includes drones and bomb-disposal dogs as well as chemical, biological and radiological units.
And the man leading Ryder Cup security admitted they are preparing for the worst. ‘If anything, the likelihood of somebody trying to use an event like this to make a statement is only increased,’ Major Stephen Udice told the BBC.
‘Some would argue it’s much higher. We are planning as if there are threats. We have multiple different layers that someone looking to cause chaos and harm is going to have to get through.
‘In an event of this size, with the attention that this is going to get around the world, we also recognize that this is a target.’
As revealed by Daily Mail Sport, Trump – an avid golf fan – is expected to arrive at Bethpage Black late Friday morning, with Udice admitting his appearance ‘creates another challenge’ for the security services.
‘But that’s also something that we incorporated into our plan a year and a half ago,’ he told the BBC.
‘We’re trying to strike that balance between minimizing the interruption to all the spectators but also keeping the president safe.’
Ryder Cup director Bryan Karns told the BBC that managing Trump’s visit is likely to be the most challenging part of the week.
The president recently attended the US Open men’s singles final, which had to be delayed by half an hour amid increased security measures.
Both the Secret Service and White House have been working with Ryder Cup officials to prepare for Trump’s arrival.
Karns admitted that there will be ‘things that would certainly take a little bit longer’. But he insisted that the president’s visit will not cause play to be delayed.
The authorities have built a special command center and dedicated a ‘tremendous amount of resources’ to keeping everyone safe.
Hundreds of extra troopers from New York have been called up, while social media is being monitored for possible threats. Udice compared the security operation to a Super Bowl or baseball World Series.
But he admitted: ‘What makes this even more challenging is that it’s in a 1,400-acre park, not a contained stadium.’
