The FBI said Sunday it is investigating “what appears to be an attempted assassination” of Donald Trump at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, just nine weeks after the Republican presidential nominee survived another assassination attempt. Trump said he was safe and well.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said U.S. Secret Service agents shot at a man who was pointing an AK-style rifle with a scope at the club while Trump was on the golf course. Bradshaw said the gunman also had two backpacks hanging from a fence and a GoPro camera, and that he was about 400 to 500 yards away from Trump, hiding in the bushes while the former president played a nearby hole. The man dropped the weapon and fled in an SUV, and was later arrested in a neighboring county.
The incident was the latest shocking moment in a campaign year marked by unprecedented volatility. It came about two months after Trump was shot in a assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania, and a the bullet grazed his earJust a week later, President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.
In an email to supporters, Trump said: “There were gunshots fired near me, but before the rumors spread out of control, I want you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND HEALTHY!”
“Nothing can slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!” said the former president.
The golf course was partially closed for Trump while he played, and agents were a few holes ahead of him when they noticed someone with a gun, Bradshaw said. There are several areas around the perimeter of the property where golfers can be seen from the fence. Agents and Secret Service officers in golf carts and ATVs often guard the area a few holes ahead and behind Trump while he plays. Agents also often bring an armored vehicle onto the course to quickly cover Trump in the event of a threat.
Trump returned to Florida this weekend after a West Coast trip that included a Friday night rally in Las Vegas and a fundraiser in Utah. His campaign did not inform Trump of his plans for Sunday. He typically spends his mornings golfing before lunching at his club, one of three he owns in the state.
The former president has had an increased security footprint since the July assassination attempt. When he was at Trump Tower in New York, a line of dump trucks was parked inside a wall outside the building. And at outdoor rallies, he now speaks from behind bulletproof glass.
Trump was safely taken back to his private club Mar-a-Lago, where he resides in Palm Beach, after the incident, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The White House said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, have both been briefed and will be updated on the investigation. The White House added that it was “relieved” to know Trump was safe.
Harris, in a statement, said she was “glad” Trump was safe, adding that “violence has no place in America”.
In one X In a tweet, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., one of Trump’s top congressional allies, said he spoke with Trump after the incident and that Trump was “in good spirits” and “one of the strongest people I’ve ever known.”
Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder said the suspect was taken into custody just minutes after the FBI, Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office issued a “very urgent BOLO” — or “be on the lookout alert” detailing the specific vehicle wanted, its license plate number and a description of its occupants.
Snyder said his deputies “immediately flooded” northbound I-95, deploying to every exit between the Palm Beach County line to the south and the St. Lucie County line to the north.
“One of my road patrol units saw the vehicle, matched the tag, and we took control of the vehicle,” Snyder said. “We approached the vehicle, safely stopped it, and arrested the driver.”
Snyder told WPTV the suspect “was unarmed when we got him out of the car.”
Snyder said the man appeared calm, composed and showed little emotion when stopped by police, adding that the suspect did not question why he was stopped.
“He never asked, ‘What’s this about?’ It was obvious that there was law enforcement with long guns, blue lights, a lot of stuff going on. He never questioned it,” Snyder said.
A Justice Department spokesperson said Attorney General Merrick Garland has been briefed on the situation and is receiving regular updates on the matter.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office post said the suspect was taken into custody near Palm City, Florida, about 45 miles north of Trump’s golf course. The sheriff’s office said northbound lanes of I-95 were closed.
A message sent to campaign officials seeking information on the security and location of Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, was not immediately returned.
Max Egusquiza, of Palm Beach, described the emergency response outside Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course.
“From what I saw, there were five black SUVs with no license plates blocking a grey Mercedes in front of the golf course. There were about 20 or more police cars flying in from nearby streets,” he said.
Trump is expected to speak about cryptocurrency live on social media site X Monday night to launch his son’s cryptocurrency platform. He is expected to do so from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The former president is expected to return to the campaign trail on Tuesday to attend a town hall in Flint, Michigan with his former press secretary, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, followed by a campaign rally in New York on Long Island on Wednesday.
Later in the week, he is scheduled to attend and speak at the American Israel Council National Summit in Washington, DC and hold a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina on Saturday.
