In recent months, after two consecutive attempted assassination incidents, Federal Congressman Russ Fulcher (Republican from Idaho) suggested on Monday (September 16) that former President Trump consider hiring private bodyguards.
Fulcher, in an interview with NewsNation’s “The Hill” program, said, “If I were President Trump and my goal was to stay alive, then I would consider many different options, even including hiring private security to meet some security needs.”
He criticized the intelligence department, stating that “the intelligence department is not open enough in its communication with Congress.”
Fulcher expressed concerns about the trustworthiness of the intelligence department within Congress, while praising the Secret Service officials for avoiding a greater tragedy during the attempted assassination incident at the golf course on Sunday.
He expressed deep concern over the consecutive attempted assassination incidents, asking, “Who would have thought that the biggest potential deciding factor of this election would be keeping Donald Trump alive? Normally during an election cycle, we care about policies, voter turnout, and such matters, but now we are worried about how to preserve Donald Trump’s life.”
He said, “Thankfully, there was an agent who did his job diligently, apparently saving the president’s life.”
Continuing, he said, “That’s great news! However, overall, I must tell everyone that the intelligence department has lost a lot of trust within Congress, gaining a lot of mistrust.”
The interview with Congressman Fulcher took place a day after the second clear assassination attempt on Trump outside a golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Secret Service agents on duty at nearby holes noticed a man extending the barrel of a rifle through the bushes outside the golf course, about 300 to 500 yards away.
A Secret Service agent fired at the man, who then dropped his AK-47 style rifle and fled in a car. Shortly after, officials arrested the suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh.
How did Routh learn that Trump would be at the golf course? How long had he been hiding in the bushes? What was his motive for attempting to shoot Trump? Was it a solo operation or were there accomplices? A series of questions await answers.
The suspect was arrested before causing harm, showing significant improvement in the Secret Service’s work compared to the unsuccessful assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13. The first attempted assassination incident raised strong public questioning of the Secret Service’s failure to protect the former president, resulting in him being shot and grazed by a bullet. Nevertheless, the event on Sunday has sparked new concerns about the security level of the former president.
Following the Sunday incident, Elon Musk quoted a post on the social media platform X, which read, “Why would they want to kill Donald Trump?” and added his comment, stating, “No one even attempted to assassinate Hillary Clinton,” accompanied by a puzzled emoji.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates responded, saying, “Violent actions should only be condemned, never encouraged or made light of; such remarks are irresponsible.”
Musk deleted the post earlier on Monday, not admitting to “encouraging” but insisting it was a “joke,” adding, “The fact is that if people don’t know the context, it’s just plain text, then jokes become less fun.”
Although Musk did not provide an explanation for the “context,” his question of “Why would they want to kill Donald Trump” indicates that the motive behind an assassination attempt is not a “joke,” but a serious matter.
According to the Independent, Trump often travels between his properties across the United States, including clubs, hotels, and golf courses in Florida, New Jersey, Virginia, Nevada, and elsewhere. Experts say that Trump-branded properties worldwide are primary targets for assassination attempts.
In 2019, during Trump’s third year in office, a suspected Chinese spy was intercepted at Mar-a-Lago, raising concerns about Trump’s security awareness.
Former CIA analyst Cindy Otis said at the time, “Foreign countries are not stupid; they send officials to stay at Trump hotels for a reason; they know he doesn’t care about operational security, and he openly talks about government issues wherever he goes. So foreign intelligence agencies will try to monitor these conversations either through physical visits or electronic means.”
(This article is referenced from reports by The Hill)