Janice R. Andrews
After what happened on a Florida golf course on Sunday, the FBI is looking into what seems to be another attempt to kill former President Donald Trump. A man with an AK-style gun was seen by police near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course, where the former president was playing with Steve Witkoff, his adviser and close friend. Trump was not hurt and was quickly taken to safety. This is the second time in nine weeks that his life has been threatened in this way.
Specifics of the Attempt
After a short run, the suspect, named as 34-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, was caught. Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of Palm Beach County told the press that Routh was hiding in bushes about 300 to 500 yards from where Trump was playing. As soon as the Secret Service arrived, they opened fire on the suspect, but it’s still not clear if Routh fired any shots before driving off in an SUV.
The crime happened around 1:30 p.m. ET, and the suspect’s black Nissan was seen on I-95 north of Palm Beach in Martin County, which is next door. Sheriff William Snyder of Martin County stated that Routh was not carrying a weapon when he was caught. A witness took a picture of the suspect’s car, and a license plate reader was used to track it down, which led to his capture.
What the FBI and other law enforcement did
This is the second warning against Trump in just over two months, and the FBI sees it as a possible attempt to kill him. The police stated that they had found an AK-style gun and other things at the scene, such as two backpacks and a GoPro camera.
Bradshaw said, “It was clear that the suspect was armed and dangerous.” “The Secret Service did what they were supposed to do, and the FBI is now looking into this case well to find out why the attack happened.”
What Trump said: “I AM SAFE AND WELL!”
After what happened, Trump stayed at his golf club while Secret Service agents did a full security check of his nearby Mar-a-Lago home. A few hours later, Trump sent an email to his fans to comfort them: “There were gunshots nearby, but before rumors get out of hand, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!”
Trump went on, “Nothing is going to slow me down.” “I will NEVER GIVE UP!” Senator JD Vance, who is running with him, also said on social media that Trump was “in good spirits” after what happened.
Sean Hannity, star of Fox News, talked about what he said to Trump and Witkoff after the episode. Hannity says that both guys were on the fifth hole when they heard shots. Witkoff said that the Secret Service guards “pounced” on Trump and defended him right away. He also said that Trump joked about missing his birdie putt.
Reactions in politics
Vice President Kamala Harris was glad that Trump was safe and said on X (formerly Twitter), “Violence has no place in America.” In a speech, President Joe Biden also praised the quick action of the police and said again, “There is no place for political violence in America.”
Biden’s remarks made it clear that his government is still committed to keeping Trump safe. “I have directed my team to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability, and protective measure necessary,” he told us.
More worries about safety
People are worried again about Trump’s safety after this event. This new warning comes just nine weeks after another attempt on Trump’s life in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he was hit by a bullet at a gathering. In that case, the shooter was killed by Secret Service agents after starting fire, killing one person and hurting two others.
Because of these events, the U.S. Secret Service has been looked at more closely. A House task group made up of members from both parties wants to know more about the attempt on Sunday. This raises questions about how Trump’s security team reacted and what steps are being taken to stop future attacks.
In a statement, the task group, which was led by Republican Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania and Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, said, “We have asked the U.S. Secret Service to brief us on what happened and how security responded.”
Close Examining of Secret Service Leaders
After the failed attempt on Trump’s life in Pennsylvania in July, the Secret Service was criticized for allegedly turning down calls for more security at his events. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle quit because of growing worries about how the agency was protecting Trump.
Sheriff Bradshaw said that the fact that Trump is no longer president has changed the amount of protection. “The whole golf course would have been surrounded if he were still president.” “But since he’s not, the security is only in the places the Secret Service thinks are necessary,” he said.
Even though Trump was not hurt in this latest attempt on his life, it has raised real concerns about how well he is protected. Since there have been two threats against the former president in less than three months, the federal government will probably keep looking over the safety measures they have in place for him. Right now, Trump is safe, and the FBI is still looking into the attempted attack.
