No guns allowed at Utah GOP convention because of Ron DeSantis’ keynote appearance

Firearms will not be allowed at a speaking event by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the Utah Republican Party State Convention in Orem later this month.

Utah GOP Chairman Carson Jorgensen acknowledged Monday that magnetometers would be in use at the Utah Valley University’s UCCU Center for the April 22 convention as part of enhanced security for DeSantis’ appearance.

“In the current political climate, we felt the need to be thorough in our security for this event,” Jorgensen said.

The party chairman said the plan to use magnetometers at the convention was a mutual decision between the Utah GOP and DeSantis’ representatives. He pointed to the use of magnetometers at November’s U.S. Senate debate between Mike Lee and Evan McMullin, which also took place at UVU.

“We felt the best practice is to err on the side of caution,” Jorgensen added.

This is not the first time guns have been prohibited at an event featuring DeSantis. Firearms were banned at several conservative events where DeSantis spoke last summer, Insider reported. According to The Washington Post, his team wanted weapons banned from his election-night celebration in Tampa last year but took steps to avoid political blowback from the move.

Gov. DeSantis’ office did not respond to a request for comment.

The Utah GOP convention is one of several out-of-state speaking engagements for DeSantis ahead of the expected launch of his 2024 presidential bid. He is reportedly set to visit Ohio and New Hampshire later this month and will head to Texas for a fundraiser after he speaks in Utah.

[READ: Utah lawmakers say they want to protect kids. Here are the gun laws the Legislature did — and didn’t — pass.]

Weapons are already banned at the UCCU Center, along with balloons, fireworks and umbrellas. Arena officials say they typically use magnetometers for large events like concerts and commencement ceremonies.

The Utah Republican Party platform supports the “constitutionally-protected right of the people to keep and bear arms” for self-defense and encourages personal responsibility when using firearms.

This is the first time in recent memory that magnetometers will be used at a Utah GOP convention. The devices were not part of the security plan for previous high-profile speakers, including Sen. John McCain in 2007 and then-GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney in 2010.

from The Salt Lake Tribune https://ift.tt/TfQ2Wlh