“Appears to have been attempted assassination” while playing golf two months after another attempt on his life at a Pennsylvania rally; nonetheless, former president Donald Trump remains unharmed, according to the FBI.
Reports indicate that when Trump was playing golf in West Palm Beach, Florida, a guy brandishing an AK-style weapon with a scope was shot and killed by the U.S. Secret Service personnel assigned to protect him, according to local authorities.
Five key points regarding the events surrounding the Republican presidential nominee on Sunday are as follows.
Guess who the suspect is?
Ryan Wesley Routh was named by law enforcement as the man who pointed the rifle and was apprehended. Due to their lack of authority to disclose the current investigation, the officials who named the suspect to The Associated Press did so on condition of anonymity.
Documents reveal Routh, 58, spent the majority of his life in North Carolina. In 2018, he and his son moved to Kaaawa, Hawaii, and ran a shed construction firm, according to an archived version of the company’s webpage.
In an effort to garner financial support and recruit individuals to travel to Kyiv and participate in the resistance against the Russian invasion, Routh maintained an online presence where he regularly shared posts regarding the conflict in Ukraine. His June 2020 X post aimed at then-President Trump, in which he claimed that he could secure Trump’s reelection by directing the Justice Department to prosecute cases of police wrongdoing. Former Hawaii U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard, who has since defected to the Trump camp, ran for president as a Democrat the same year, and he wrote in her favor.
On the other hand, his latest posts indicate that he lost interest in Trump and began to back Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for president and vice president, respectively.
In July, after the failed attempt on Trump’s life in Pennsylvania, Routh pleaded with Biden and Harris to pay their respects at the hospital for the wounded and to attend the funeral of a former fire chief who had died at the rally.
He last cast a ballot in person during the North Carolina Democratic Party primary in March 2024, according to voter records, and he registered as an independent voter in 2012. Using his Hawaii address, Routh contributed $140 to ActBlue, a Democratic-affiliated political action organization, over the course of 2019 according to federal campaign finance reports.
Numerous encounters between Routh and law officers were documented during his residence in Greensboro, North Carolina. Online records from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction show that he was found guilty of having a weapon of mass destruction in 2002.
No information regarding the case can be found in the records. In contrast, a 2002 article in the News & Record states that a guy of the same name was apprehended following a three-hour police standoff. Supposedly, he holed himself inside a roofing company after being stopped for a traffic stop, where he allegedly brandished a gun. State incorporation documents indicate that he was the owner of the roofing company.
How is this even possible?
As the former president played a round of golf at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, local cops reported the gunman was hidden in vegetation approximately 400 to 500 yards away from Trump.
According to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, “they’re pretty much out of sight” as individuals venture into the course’s surrounding foliage. According to Bradshaw, if Trump were the president at the moment, the whole golf course would be cordoned off by police. However, since he isn’t, “security is limited to the areas the Secret Service deems possible.”
Given Trump’s high profile and his bid for reelection to the presidency, his security detail has been more extensive than average. Iranian authorities had threatened Trump’s life, so U.S. officials increased his security in the days leading up to the July murder attempt in Pennsylvania.
Since the attempt, what has Trump said?
“There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors spiral out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” Trump responded in an email to supporters.
His running mate JD Vance and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham both claimed to have spoken with Trump following the incident, and both claimed that he was in a “good spirits” state of mind.
Trump thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement for protecting him late Sunday on social media, describing them as “brave and dedicated Patriots,” and adding, “Certainly an interesting day!”
An anonymous source acquainted with the plans for the briefing said that acting Secret Service director Ronald Rowe was supposed to personally brief him on Monday with the investigation into the assassination attempt.
A close associate of the ex-president, Sean Hannity of Fox News, claimed on television that he had a conversation with Trump and Steve Witkoff, who was Trump’s golf companion. On the fifth hole, they heard a “pop pop, pop pop,” they informed Hannity. As he put it, Secret Service agents “pounced on” Trump and “covered him” in an instant, as Witkoff related.
According to Witkoff, Trump was quickly whisked away by a “fast cart” that had steel reinforcement and other forms of security.
After this transpired, and it was obvious that everyone was safe (including Witkoff), Trump reportedly reacted by joking that he was disappointed he couldn’t complete the hole as he “was even and had a birdie putt.” (Hannity)
How does Vice President Kamala Harris explain her remarks?
Democratic presidential candidate Harris, who is running against Trump, announced on X that she had been informed about the reports of gunshots.
God, I’m relieved he’s okay. In the United States, violence is unacceptable.
President Joe Biden and Senator Harris will be kept informed of developments in the probe, according to the White House. Knowing that Trump is safe was a “relief” for the White House, they said.
Where do we go from here?
On Monday night, Trump will debut his sons’ cryptocurrency platform from his Mar-a-Lago club during a live appearance on X; he has not yet announced any modifications to his itinerary.
The heads of a legislative task group that is looking into the failed attempt on Trump’s assassination on July 13 have announced that they have asked the Secret Service to brief them.
Representatives Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Jason Crow (D-Colo.) issued a joint statement in which they expressed their gratitude that the former president was not injured while also expressing their utmost concern and condemnation of political violence in all its manifestations. They mentioned that the task force will provide updates.
House of Representatives member Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) expressed his intention to “seek answers about what happened today and then.”