Donald Trump is safe after another assassination attempt.
Secret Service agents on Sunday opened fire on a gunman they spotted while Trump was golfing at his Trump International Golf Course at West Palm Beach, which is about five miles away from the former president's Mar-a-Lago estate.
Secret Service agents, who were a few holes ahead of Trump on the course, fired when they spotted the man in some bushes pointing a rifle through a fence, law-enforcement officials said. The man then took off in a vehicle. An AK-style firearm was recovered at the scene.
The FBI said it was investigating “what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump.”
The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. EST.
The Palm Beach Sheriff, alongside the FBI and U.S. Secret Service, explained at a press briefing that a Secret Service agent advancing the golf course “one or two” holes ahead of Trump and his golf partner Steve Witkoff encountered a man with a rifle, the barrel of which was poking out from the bushes on the course. At that point, the Secret Service engaged the individual, who was not hit and who fled, eventually making it to his vehicle.
At the same time, Secret Service agents accompanying Trump “pounced” on him and covered him as his group played the 5th hole.
A nearby witness captured an image of the man’s car – a black Nissan – which was relayed to local police, who picked up the suspect further down the road in Martin County. The man has been reportedly identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, a Democrat and supporter of Kamala Harris.
The gunman had a backpack that contained a rifle and a GoPro video camera alongside his AK-47 with a scope. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's office made clear that given the weapon and the scope, Trump’s proximity to the suspect – around 300 yards away – is not considered to be a particularly long distance.
Trump issued the following statement:
“There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL! Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me. Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again.”
Teri Barbera, a spokeswoman for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed that a shooting took place “on the grounds” of the Trump International Golf Course West Palm Beach while Trump was present. A “person of interest” has been detained, Barbera said.
Sheriff William D. Snyder of Martin County, Fla., said his deputies had detained the driver of a vehicle wanted by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in connection with the shooting. The person was detained as he was driving northbound on Interstate 95 and crossed from Palm Beach County to Martin County. The highway is shut down at Mile Marker 110, with federal investigators on the scene, the sheriff said.
The Wall Street Journal noted: "The Secret Service has long viewed golf as a vulnerability, with courses offering a precarious combination of open ground and the predictability of a protectee proceeding from hole to hole. But that risk has been pronounced with Trump, current and former agents said, because of the frequency of his trips and his habit of golfing at courses he owns."
"As president, Trump could often be spotted from across from Kirk Road when he was playing golf. But members of the media were not permitted to stand on the sidewalks near the golf course when Trump was playing," CNN reported. "After he left office, some of those restrictions were lifted."
The Palm Beach County sheriff confirmed Sunday that as Trump is not now a sitting president, the Secret Service was “limited” in its ability to fully secure the golf course.
EDITORIAL: The U.S. Secret Service must be directed to immediately provide Donald J. Trump the full protection afforded to a sitting president. Not only is he targeted daily by venomous attacks on social media, but he is also the most famous and influential political leader in… pic.twitter.com/h1sLewJcuX
— World Tribune (@WorldTribune) September 15, 2024
Agents walk ahead of and behind Trump when he is golfing; they were checking for threats a few holes away from Trump when they noticed the gunman, officials said.
BREAKING: Donald Trump was tackled by Secret Service agents when he was on the 5th hole after "pops" rang out.
According to Fox News, Trump was getting ready to putt when the incident unfolded. The revelation came from Fox News' Sean Hannity who has spoken to Trump… pic.twitter.com/mBViQ8v3mf — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 15, 2024
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