US election: What to know about the possible assassination attempt at Donald Trump’s golf course
A man was charged Monday with two gun-related crimes after he allegedly pointed a rifle toward a golf course where Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump was playing in West Palm Beach, Florida. The incident is being investigated by the FBI as another potential assassination attempt against the former President. Trump was not harmed and is expected to meet on Monday with the acting director of the Secret Service. The White House said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had been briefed about the incident. Harris said that she was “thankful that former President Trump is safe”. Here’s what to know:
The facts
The suspect
During his first appearance at a West Palm Beach federal courthouse, Routh, the suspect, was charged Monday with two gun-related crimes: possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
No motive has been determined for Sunday’s incident.
Routh appears to have led a life in search of a purpose, The Washington Post reported.
In recent years, he travelled to Ukraine and once aspired to recruit an army of international volunteers to aid Kyiv. He seems to have grown disillusioned, apparently writing a book about Ukraine’s “unwinnable war” and the “fatal flaw of democracy”.
Past interviews have surfaced of Routh claiming to have worked with a unit of foreign nationals fighting for Ukraine. However, the group has denied any formal connection with him.
“American citizen Ryan Routh has never served in the International Legion of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, has no relation to the unit,” the unit of Ukraine’s ground forces wrote in a statement. “Rumours disseminated in certain media are not true.”
Public records show Routh lived most recently in Kaaawa, on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. No one answered when a Washington Post reporter called a number associated with the address.
Public records viewed by The Post also show that Routh, originally from North Carolina, faced criminal charges for two incidents in 2002 for possession of a weapon of mass destruction.
According to North Carolina’s State Board of Elections, Routh registered in 2012 as an unaffiliated voter at an address listed in Greensboro. In March, voting records show, he voted in person in Guilford County in the Democratic primary.
Reactions
Trump said in a fundraising email: “I AM SAFE AND WELL! Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!”
Senator JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, wrote on X that he spoke with the former President before the news became public and that “he was, amazingly, in good spirits”.
“Still much we don’t know, but I’ll be hugging my kids extra tight tonight and saying a prayer of gratitude,” Vance wrote.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said on social media that he and his wife spent several hours with Trump at his nearby Mar-a-Lago resort after the incident. “No leader in American history has endured more attacks and remained so strong and resilient. He is unstoppable,” Johnson wrote on X.
Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee locked in a tight race with Trump, said in a statement that she was “deeply disturbed by the possible assassination attempt”.
“As we gather the facts, I will be clear: I condemn political violence. We all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence,” she said.
Her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, wrote on X that he and his wife are glad Trump is safe. “Violence has no place in our country. It’s not who we are as a nation,” Walz said.
What’s next?
Protecting Trump has long proved a challenge for the Secret Service.
He routinely holds large campaign rallies and socialises with scores of people at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, and other resorts. Golf courses are especially fraught because they are often open to the public.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on X that his state “will be conducting its own investigation regarding the attempted assassination”.
Last month, the Secret Service approved the use of bulletproof glass to shield the Republican nominee at outdoor rallies, a security measure usually provided only for presidents and vice-presidents.
In a statement, Biden said he “directed my team to continue to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former president’s continued safety”.
“As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country,” he said.