Former President Donald Trump narrowly escaped another assassination attempt while playing golf in West Palm Beach, Florida. This incident occurred two months after a previous failed assassination attempt during a rally in Pennsylvania.
Local authorities reported that Trump was playing golf at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach when Secret Service agents protecting him fired at a man wielding an AK-style rifle with a scope.
Some questions and answers regarding the assassination attempt:
Law enforcement officials identified the gunman as Ryan Wesley Routh, who has been arrested. Records show that Routh, 58, resided mostly in North Carolina before moving to Kaaawa, Hawaii in 2018, where he ran a shed-building company with his son.
Routh has been active on social media in recent years, particularly regarding the conflict in Ukraine. He also maintained a website to raise funds and recruit volunteers to join the resistance against Russia’s invasion in Kyiv.
In the past, Routh’s social media posts indicated varying support for different political figures, including both Trump and Biden. Following the failed assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania in July, Routh urged Biden and Harris to visit shooting victims in the hospital and attend the funeral of a former firefighter who perished at the rally.
Voter records show that Routh was registered as an independent in North Carolina in 2012 and made political donations to Democratic candidates through ActBlue from his Hawaii address. Records also document past conflicts with law enforcement, including a conviction for possessing a high capacity weapon in 2002.
Following the incident at the golf course, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw commented on the security measures in place for Trump, noting that as a former president, his security detail is elevated due to his high profile and ongoing presidential campaign.
Trump reassured his supporters through an email that he was safe and unharmed, despite the shooting incident. His campaign partners, J.D. Vance and Senator Lindsey Graham, confirmed his well-being and positive spirits after the event.
In a late-night social media post, Trump expressed gratitude for the Secret Service agents who protected him during the attempted assassination, calling them “brave and dedicated patriots.”
In efforts to shed light on the investigation, Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe is scheduled to brief Trump on the incident on Monday.
Fox News host Sean Hannity, a close ally of Trump, shared details of the event on his show, reporting that Trump joked about missing out on completing the golf hole due to the incident.
Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s political opponent, expressed relief at his safety and condemned violence in the United States. The White House stated that President Biden and Harris are monitoring the investigation’s progress and are relieved that Trump was unharmed.
Trump has not announced any schedule changes and is slated to deliver a live speech at the Mar-a-Lago resort on Monday evening, introducing his son’s cryptocurrency platform.
Meanwhile, the bipartisan congressional task force investigating the July 13th assassination attempt on Trump has requested updates from the Secret Service.
Members of Congress, including Republican Representative Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania and Democratic Representative Jason Crow of Colorado, expressed relief that Trump was unharmed and condemned political violence. Representative Jared Moskowitz of Florida, also a member of the task force, emphasized the importance of seeking answers regarding the incident and future security measures.