As details emerged of the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump’s Florida golf course, family members and politicians on both ends of the political spectrum were shocked.
Secret Service agents opened fire after finding a man hiding in bushes with an AK-47 style rifle a few hundred yards from where Trump was playing golf. Agents returned fire and the man fled. The suspect was later arrested and the weapon, a scope and a GoPro camera were recovered.
Trump was slightly injured two months ago when a gunman attacked him at a rally in Pennsylvania, but the political reaction to the possibility of a second attack was swift amid widespread civil unrest amid a bitterly contested US presidential election.
The White House said Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had been briefed on the incident. “They are relieved to learn Ms. Harris is safe, and their teams will provide regular updates,” the statement read.
In his own statement about X, the vice president said, “We have received reports of gunfire near former President Trump and his property in Florida and are glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.”
Trump’s family also responded.
“My father’s life is running out,” his son Eric Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “How many more rifles are within range of assassinating him?”
“Gunshots were heard near me, but before rumors spread and get out of control, I want you to hear this first: I am safe and well!” Trump said in an email to supporters.
“Nothing can slow me down. I will never surrender!” the former president added.
In a post on X, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, one of Trump’s key allies in Congress, said he spoke with the former president after the incident and that he was in “good spirits” and “one of the strongest people I know.”
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said a suspect “believed to be connected to the shooting at Trump International in Palm Beach County” was arrested after fleeing the scene.
“President Trump is safe after hearing shots fired nearby,” Trump campaign communications director Steven Chang said in a statement. Chang did not provide further details.
Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, Trump’s running mate, said in a statement, “I’m glad President Trump is safe. I spoke with him before the news was released and he is in amazing spirits. While there is still much we don’t know, tonight I will hug my children even tighter and say a prayer of thanks.”
Get the most important US news and highlights delivered straight to your inbox every morning
Privacy Notice: Our newsletter may contain information about charities, online advertising and externally funded content. For more information, please see our privacy policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and are subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
After newsletter promotion
Sheriff Rick Bradshaw said the suspect appeared “calm” when he was arrested by police after fleeing the scene. The suspect was found to have a rifle and shots were fired before he was apprehended by the Secret Service, Bradshaw said.
“The Secret Service is working with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the incident involving security for former President Donald Trump that occurred just before 2pm. The former President is safe. @pbso will have more information to share in the coming days,” Secret Service Public Affairs Director Anthony Guglielmi posted on X.
The latest incident came just over two months after Trump survived an assassination attempt at a political rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, that left one rally attendee dead and led to law enforcement returning fire and killing the suspect. The political motive of the attack is unclear. Trump was grazed in the ear, and images of the bloodied former president raising his fist after the shooting were widely shared by his supporters.
An internal Secret Service investigation has determined that the service experienced multiple significant communications outages prior to the July 13 assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The Washington Post reported Saturday, citing unnamed officials, that the former president’s security force did not instruct local police to guard the roof of the building used by the shooter.
