What could possibly go wrong with hundreds of resentful candidate loyalists attending the most fractious political convention in decades … with their guns?

The Secret Service decided: Plenty.

In response to more than 43,000 signatures on a Change.org petition calling for the right to bring firearms into the Quicken Loans Arena at the Republican national convention this summer, the federal agency, which oversees security at both party conventions, said that weapons would be prohibited, except for those carried by authorized law enforcement officers.

Many people signed the online petition to contest the legality of the arena’s strict no-guns policy. Because Ohio is an open-carry state, gun advocates argued that their Second Amendment rights should not take a back seat to the security policies of a venue hosting a political convention.

In theory they had a point. But the Secret Service wasn’t buying. Given their mandate to protect and the need to maintain order, the agency had no choice.

Along with its ban on firearms in the arena, the Secret Service reminded the party and the public that convention-goers, even with a ticket, will be required to pass through security checkpoints.

The Republican National Committee said it would abide by the Secret Service protocol. The same sensible no-guns policy will benefit the Democrats, too.

First Published April 2, 2016, 4:00 a.m.