Former president Donald Trump is safe following what the FBI says “appears to be an attempted assassination” while playing golf two months after another attempt on his life at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Local authorities said the US Secret Service agents protecting Trump fired at a man pointing an AK-style rifle with a scope as Trump was playing on one of his Florida golf courses in West Palm Beach.
Here are five things to know about what happened Sunday to the Republican presidential nominee.
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Who is the suspect?
Law enforcement officials said the man who pointed the rifle and was arrested is Ryan Wesley Routh. The officials identified the suspect to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the ongoing investigation.
The suspect dropped the weapon and fled in an SUV and was later taken into custody in a neighbouring county, authorities said. A motive is unclear. Local authorities said the gunman had two backpacks hanging on a fence and a GoPro camera.
Routh was convicted in 2002 of possessing a weapon of mass destruction, according to North Carolina Department of Adult Correction online records.
The records do not provide details about the case. But a News & Record story from 2002 says a man with the same name was arrested after a three-hour standoff with police. The story says he was pulled over during a traffic stop, put his hand on a gun and barricaded himself inside a roofing business. Routh was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and possessing a weapon of mass destruction, “referring to a fully automatic machine gun,” according to the News & Record.
How did this happen?
Local authorities said the gunman was about 400 yards to 500 yards (274m to 457m) away from Trump and hiding in shrubbery while the former president was playing a round of golf at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.
Ric Bradshaw, sheriff of Palm Beach County, said when people entered shrubbery around the course, “they’re pretty much out of sight”.
Bradshaw said the entire golf course would have been lined with law enforcement if Trump were the sitting president, but because he’s not, “security is limited to the areas the Secret Service deems possible”.
Trump’s protective detail has been higher than some of his peers because of his high visibility and his campaign to seek the White House again. His security was bolstered days before the July assassination attempt in Pennsylvania because of a threat on Trump’s life from Iran, US officials said.
What has Trump said since the attempt?
In an email to supporters, Trump said: “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors (sic) start spiraling (sic) out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!”
His running mate, JD Vance, and US Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said they spoke with Trump after the incident, and both said he was in “good spirits.” Trump also checked in with several Fox News hosts.
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Fox News host Sean Hannity, a close friend of the former president’s, said on air that he spoke with Trump and his golf partner, Steve Witkoff, afterwards. They told Hannity they had been on the fifth hole when they heard a “pop pop, pop pop”. Within seconds, he said Witkoff recounted, Secret Service agents “pounced on” Trump and “covered him” to protect him.
Moments later, Witkoff said, a “fast cart” with steel reinforcement and other protection was able to whisk Trump away.
Hannity said Trump’s reaction after this happened — and when it was clear that everyone, including Witkoff, was safe — was to quip that he was sad he hadn’t been able to finish the hole since he “was even and had a birdie putt”.
What is Vice President Kamala Harris saying?
Harris, Trump’s Democratic opponent in the presidential election, posted on X that she had been briefed on the reports of gunshots fired.
“I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.”
The White House said President Joe Biden and Harris would be kept updated on the investigation. The White House added it was “relieved” to know Trump is safe.
What’s next?
Trump has not announced any changes to his schedule and is set to speak live on X on Monday night from his Mar-a-Lago resort to launch his sons’ crypto platform.
Meanwhile, the leaders of a congressional bipartisan task force investigating the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump said they have requested a briefing by the Secret Service.
“We are thankful that the former President was not harmed, but remain deeply concerned about political violence and condemn it in all of its forms,” Representative Mike Kelly, R-Pa., and Representative Jason Crow, D-Colo., said in a statement. They said the task force will share updates.
Jared Moskowitz, a Florida Democrat who is part of the task force, said he “will seek answers about what happened today and then”.