Trump safe after assassination attempt (FBI report)

MIAMI – Former President Donald Trump was golfing in Florida on Sunday afternoon when a Secret Service agent spotted a man with a rifle standing next to a chain-link fence at the edge of the golf course, law enforcement officials said.

Agents opened fire and the man fled in a black Nissan but was eventually taken into custody, officials said.

Although Trump was unharmed, the FBI was apparently investigating the incident as an attempted assassination, the second on the former president in just over two months. Trump was injured in an earlier assassination attempt during a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The suspected shooter was identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, according to a law enforcement official who was granted anonymity to describe the ongoing investigation.

The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. Sunday while Trump was playing golf at the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a news conference.

A Secret Service agent standing a hole or two away from Trump saw the gunman hiding in the bushes next to a fence at the edge of the golf course, according to Bradshaw. The Secret Service fired at the man, said Rafael Barros, special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Miami field office, although it was not immediately clear whether the suspect fired any shots.

Trump was about 350 meters away from the gunman, Bradshaw said.

A semi-automatic rifle with a scope was found near the property line, along with two backpacks hanging on the fence. Inside the backpacks were ceramic tiles, and investigators also found a video camera, the sheriff said, adding that investigators believed the man may have intended to film the shooting.

“President Trump is safe following the shooting near him,” Steven Cheung, communications director for the Trump campaign, said in a statement.

A witness saw the man flee from the bushes toward a black Nissan, the sheriff said. The witness took a photo of the car and showed it to officers. The man was stopped as he was traveling north on Interstate 95 after crossing into Martin County.

Law enforcement officials are tracking the buyer and trying to determine who bought the gun and where it was sold, according to two officials familiar with the situation.

Routh was interviewed by the New York Times in 2023 for an article about American volunteers supporting the war effort in Ukraine. Routh, who had no military experience, said he traveled to the country after the 2022 Russian invasion to recruit Afghan soldiers to fight there. He told the Times he once traveled to Washington to meet with politicians and bolster support for Ukraine. “I'm just a U.S. citizen helping.”

According to three people familiar with the incident, Trump was playing golf with his friend Steve Witkoff, a New York real estate investor, when the shots were fired. Trump later returned to Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach estate. His campaign team sent two fundraising emails in connection with the incident. “There are people in this world who would do anything to stop us,” one of the emails said.

Golf courses can pose a security challenge for the former president. While they offer little hiding place, they are also very large and offer few opportunities to take cover. During the press conference, Bradshaw acknowledged that security measures on Sunday would have been higher if Trump were the sitting president.

Vice President Kamala Harris said on social media that she had been informed of the shooting. “I'm glad he is safe,” she wrote. “Violence has no place in America.”

In a statement, a White House official said that in addition to Harris, President Joe Biden had also been informed. “They are relieved to know he is safe,” the official said.

Senator Lindsey Graham, RS.C., posted on social media that he had spoken to Trump and was in “good spirits.”

Trump spent the afternoon talking to friends and allies and joking about how frustrated he was at not being able to finish his golf game, according to two people briefed on the events at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump's former White House physician, Rep. Ronny Jackson, said he spoke with Trump on Sunday afternoon.

“He told me he was always happy to hear from me, but today he was glad he didn't need my services,” Jackson said. “I just told him I was glad he was OK, and he said he couldn't believe this happened.”

This article originally appeared in the New York Times.