
Two months after an attempt on the former president’s life at a campaign event in Pennsylvania, shots were fired on Sunday afternoon at Donald Trump‘s golf property in West Palm Beach, Florida. The FBI is labeling this apparent “attempted assassination” of the president. A guy is in prison as a result.
“It was certainly an interesting day!” stated Trump in a Sunday night Truth Social post after being whisked away from the scene. In all capital letters, he expressed his gratitude to the Secret Service and law enforcement, saying, “The job done was absolutely outstanding.”
At a press conference, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw stated that approximately ten hours prior, just before 2:00 p.m., Trump was engaged in a round of golf close to his Mar-a-Lago residence when a Secret Service member noticed a rifle with a scope in the bushes outside the course.
The man was shot by the Secret Service, but he managed to escape and drove off in a black Nissan. The suspect “was able to take a shot at our agents,” Rafael Barros, special agent in charge of the Miami field office of the Secret Service, said at the press conference, but it was unclear as rounds started to fly.
According to Bradshaw, an arrest was made possible by a bystander who snapped a photo of the vehicle and reported it to the police. Three senior law enforcement authorities have identified the individual brought into custody as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58. During the press conference on Sunday, his name was kept a secret.
Authorities told NBC News that they had found an AR-style rifle at the scene. Bradshaw mentioned that there were two bags and a GoPro camera next to the fence beside the firearm.
Routh has a lengthy history in both criminal and civil court, having been found guilty in 2022 of having a machine gun. According to property records, there was a Ryan Routh who lived in North Carolina for many years and a Ryan Routh who most recently resided in Hawaii. Whether this Routh is the same one who was arrested on Sunday has not been confirmed by NBC News.
Routh had previously claimed to be in Ukraine to support the country’s war effort to other news organizations. He told Semafor last year that he was frustrated by Ukraine’s reluctance to accept foreign fighters, and in June 2022 he told Newsweek Romania that he was trying to get more people to join the war effort.
Following the incident, Republican presidential contender Donald Trump was deemed “safe,” according to a statement released by his campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung.
A few hours after the incident, Trump drove out of the golf course in his motorcade and returned to his Mar-a-Lago club, according to a person familiar with the situation. He has reached Mar-a-Lago, according to an unidentified source.
According to a senior law enforcement officer informed on the event, Trump was playing golf when he heard gunfire in the nearby vicinity.
According to the person with knowledge of the situation, he was on the golf course between the fifth and sixth hole when the incident happened. According to the source, Trump was playing golf with his donor and friend Steve Witkoff.
In an MSNBC interview, Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg stated that the Justice Department would bring charges and that the federal government would take over the case.
“The public should be informed about the identity of the potential killer and how he came to be 500 yards away from the outgoing president and the current Republican nominee,” said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who ran against Trump in the Republican presidential primary before dropping out and endorsing him, on X.
According to a source, Trump’s campaign agenda this week won’t be impacted by the incident from Sunday. Trump’s team had declared that on Tuesday, he would host a town hall meeting in Flint, Michigan. In addition, he has speeches at political gatherings in New York on Wednesday, Washington, D.C., on Thursday, and a rally in North Carolina on Saturday.
The second attempt on Trump’s life occurred just 51 days before Election Day in a presidential contest that polls continuously show as being closely contested between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. The incident is accompanied by increased partisan language and concerns regarding political violence.
On Sunday, politicians from both parties denounced political violence and expressed appreciation that Trump was safe.
In a statement, Harris expressed her “deep distress over the potential assassination attempt of former President Trump today” and expressed her “thankfulness” that Trump is safe.
She declared, “To be clear, while we get the facts, I oppose political violence.” “We all need to contribute in order to prevent more acts of violence stemming from this occurrence.”
On X, her campaign partner, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, expressed a similar viewpoint, declaring that “violence has no place in our country.”
After being briefed on the circumstances, President Joe Biden expressed his relief that the former President is uninjured in a statement.
“As I have stated numerous times, political violence, or any violence for that matter, has no place in our nation. I have instructed my staff to keep making sure the Secret Service has all the tools, capabilities, and safety precautions required to guarantee the former President’s safety,” Biden stated.
After spending “a few hours” at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, said on X that Trump is “unstoppable.”
“The perpetrator must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” stated Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York, on X.
Citing the event, Trump’s campaign staff sent a fundraising email on Sunday. Declaring that his “resolve is only stronger after another attempt on my life,” Trump signed the email.
Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, Trump’s running mate, stated on X that the president was “in good spirits.”
“Although there is still a lot we don’t know, I will be giving my kids extra-tight hugs tonight and uttering a grateful prayer,” Vance stated.
Two months have gone by since shots were fired past Trump’s head, with one hitting him in the ear, on July 13, during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Two people were gravely injured and one supporter was murdered. The shooter was shot and killed by the Secret Service. Amid the mayhem, Trump was encircled by Secret Service personnel, who led him off the platform while he clenched his fist and muttered the word “fight,” which has turned into a catchphrase for his followers.
Following the Butler incident, the Trump campaign and his security team modified campaign gatherings. Although Trump’s team had originally intended to discontinue holding outdoor rallies, the Secret Service finally gave their approval for him to be protected at outdoor campaign events with bulletproof glass.
Two Secret Service officials have disclosed that Ronald Rowe, the acting director of the Secret Service, is on his way to Florida. Following the prior attempt on Trump’s life, Kimberly Cheatle, the former director of the Secret Service, resigned.
In a message sent to employees on Sunday, co-managers of the Trump campaign Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles stated “For the second time in two months, an evil creature tried to kill President Trump.”
In the document that NBC News was able to get, they stated “We are all safe because of the excellent work of the US Secret Service and President Trump’s entourage.”