Trump safe after apparent assassination attempt in his vicinity

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was unharmed after an apparent assassination attempt against the former president near his golf course in Florida on Sunday, investigators said, an incident that followed another such attempt a little over two months ago.

The incident took place when Trump was golfing at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. The suspect was identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, according to The New York Times. He has been taken into custody.

In a message posted on his fundraising website, Trump said he was “safe and well,” and he would “never surrender.”

“FEAR NOT! I am safe and well, and no one was hurt. Thank God! But, there are people in this world who will do whatever it takes to stop us,” he wrote.

“I will not stop fighting for you. I will Never Surrender! I will always love you for supporting me. Through our UNITY we will Make America Great Again!,” he added.

Earlier, he sent a similar email message to his supporters, confirming he was not injured.

When the incident unfolded shortly before 2 p.m., Secret Service personnel opened fire on the suspect near the property line as he — equipped with an AK-47-style rifle and a scope — was spotted hiding in the shrubbery, investigators said.

The gunman had two backpacks hung on a fence, and a GoPro camera, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. The suspect fled into a black SUV and was later captured. The Florida golf course was locked down for security.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation cast the incident as “what appears to be an attempted assassination” of the former president.

“The Secret Service agent that was on the course did a fantastic job. What they do is they have an agent that jumps one hole ahead of time to where the president was at,” Bradshaw told reporters, “And he was able to spot the rifle barrel sticking out of the fence, and immediately engage that individual, at which time the individual took off.”

The incident came in the midst of a hotly contested race for the White House between Trump and his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris. With the presidential election just seven weeks away, various polls have shown the two candidates in a tight race.

The White House said that President Joe Biden and the vice president have been briefed on the security incident.

In a statement, Biden said he has directed his team to continue to ensure that the Secret Service has “every resource, capability and protective measure” necessary to ensure the former president’s continued safety.

“I am relieved that the former president is unharmed. There is an active investigation into this incident as law enforcement gathers more details about what happened,” the president said. “As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country.”

The Secret Service said that a probe into the incident is under way.

“The Secret Service, in conjunction with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, is investigating a protective incident involving former President Donald Trump that occurred shortly before 2 p.m.,” Anthony Guglielmi, the Secret Service’s chief of communications, wrote on X. “The former president is safe.”

On X, House Speaker Mike Johnson commented on the case, calling Trump “unstoppable.”

“Kelly and I are departing Mar-a-Lago, where we just spent a few hours with President Trump and are thanking God for protecting him today—once again,” Johnson wrote, referring to his wife. “No leader in American history has endured more attacks and remained so strong and resilient. He is unstoppable.”

In his social media post, Sen. Lindsey Graham said Trump was in “good spirits.”

“Just spoke with President Trump. He is one of the strongest people I’ve ever known,” he wrote on X. “He’s in good spirits and he is more resolved than ever to save our country.”

On July 13, Trump was injured as a gunshot struck his ear during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The shooter was shot dead, while one spectator was killed.