Trump took a break from campaigning on the golf course. Then the Secret Service saw a rifle – Boston Herald

By CALVIN WOODWARD

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sunday was supposed to be a day of relative rest for Donald Trump, a rare respite so far into the presidential campaign. In addition to his social media comments, golf was on the agenda.

Then the Secret Service spotted the barrel of a rifle sticking out of a fence in the bushes at Trump's golf club in West Palm Beach, and everything changed.

For the second time in just over two months, someone apparently tried to shoot Trump and came dangerously close to the former president — on Sunday, within 500 yards, law enforcement officials said. This time, the shot came from the Secret Service before the suspect could fire at his target.

The incident raises serious questions about how to ensure the former president's safety – not only as he campaigns across the country, but also as he spends time at his own clubs and properties.

Since the July assassination attempt, which injured his ear and exposed a series of Secret Service failings, Trump has been subject to increased security measures. When he was in Trump Tower in New York, parked dump trucks formed a wall in front of the building. And at outdoor rallies, he now speaks behind bulletproof glass.

But unlike typical VIPs who live in private homes with high fences, Trump lives in a club in Florida that is open to paying members and often spends his free time on his golf courses. And this is a toxic era in the country's politics.

“The threat level is high,” Rafael Barros, special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Miami field office, told reporters on Sunday. “We live in dangerous times.”

Sunday in the political world began with Trump attacking a pop star who supported Kamala Harris on social media – “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT” – complaining about the post office and playing golf. His running mate, JD Vance, ranted on television about that thoroughly debunked conspiracy theory about immigrants and pets and refused to disavow it. Democrats were furious.

All of this was the usual fare in the most turbulent presidential campaign in living memory. But just before 2 p.m., the theme abruptly changed and the election entered unprecedented territory.

Trump and his golf partner Steve Witkoff were on the fifth hole of the course and were about to putt when they heard the “pop, pop, pop, pop,” said Fox News host Sean Hannity, a close friend of the former president who spoke to him and Witkoff several times afterward.

Moments later, Hannity said, Trump was taken away in a “speedy cart” with steel reinforcements and other protective devices.

After the Secret Service spotted the rifle and then the suspect, an agent fired at him but apparently missed.

Secret Service agents immediately protected Trump with their bodies and took him to the golf course's clubhouse, where he remained until he returned to Mar-a-Lago, about 15 minutes away, according to a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly and described it on condition of anonymity.

About an hour later, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the agency and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office were investigating an unspecified “protection incident involving former President Donald Trump,” adding that he was safe.

What was behind it was highly unclear. It could have been a shooting or a disturbance near Trump that had nothing to do with it, at least the country didn't know about it at first. “About 20 or more police cars flew out of the surrounding streets,” said Max Egusquiza of Palm Beach, describing the emergency response he witnessed.

The Trump campaign issued a statement saying, “President Trump is safe following the shooting near him.” Again, there is no word on whether he was the intended target.

But it soon became known that the Secret Service had fired shots. And about an hour later, Donald J. Trump Jr. posted on X that “according to local police,” an AK rifle had been discovered in the bushes.

This was eventually followed by a statement from the FBI saying it was investigating “an apparent assassination attempt against former President Trump.”

The suspect quickly disappeared, but police officers managed to identify his vehicle.

Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder said his deputies “immediately flooded” northbound I-95, hitting every exit between the Palm Beach County border to the south and the St. Lucie County border to the north.

The suspect was arrested minutes after the FBI, Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office issued a “very urgent BOLO” alert with information about the vehicle being sought, its license plate number and a description of the driver.

“One of my patrol cars saw the vehicle, found the matching license plate frame and we made our way to the vehicle,” Snyder said. “We were able to clamp down on the car, bring it to a safe stop and arrest the driver.”

Snyder added: “He never asked, 'What is this about?' Obviously there were police officers with rifles and flashing lights – there was a lot going on. He never questioned it.”

Police then arrested Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Kaaawa, Hawaii, three law enforcement officials told The Associated Press. The officials identified the suspect to AP but spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.

The suspect left behind an AK rifle with a scope, two backpacks hanging on a fence with ceramic tiles in them and a GoPro camera, said Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.

The sheriff said the suspect was hiding in the bushes 400 to 500 yards from Trump while the former president played golf on a nearby hole.

“It was certainly an interesting day!” Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday evening. He effusively thanked law enforcement for keeping him “SAFE.”

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Associated Press writers Jill Colvin, Colleen Long, Eric Tucker, Alanna Durkin Richer, Mike Balsamo and Michael R. Sisak contributed to this report.

Originally published: September 16, 2024 at 01:42