One of his security guards spotted the barrel of a gun sticking out of some bushes near the fence of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on Sunday afternoon. After firing the shot, the man hiding outside the fence fled. He was later arrested without resistance.
According to media reports, the victim was Ryan Routh, 58, of North Carolina. Someone by that name contacted police in 2002 for possession of a prohibited weapon, a machine gun. According to The New York Times In any case, this is the man who said in an interview with that newspaper in 2023 that he had volunteered to fight against Russia, but had been rejected due to his lack of military experience.
Possible reason
Donald Trump’s refusal to support Ukraine in his debate last week with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris could be a motive for the attack. But Routh also showed himself to be involved in Haiti’s enormous problems. Trump accused Haitian migrants of eating pets during that same debate.
However, an X account that appears to belong to Routh contains criticism of both Trump and Harris.
While Trump was golfing, the agency that protects politicians, the Secret Service, moved forward one hole at a time to secure that location. After the ambush was discovered, the suspect fled in a car. He had apparently left behind a rifle with a telescopic sight, two backpacks with ceramic tiles (possibly intended to protect against bullets) and a camera.
It was not yet clear Sunday evening whether he actually fired the shot with the rifle. Trump was several hundred metres away at the time and was therefore a target that a good marksman could hit with the weapon he was carrying.
Escape
The escape was short-lived because a witness took a photo of the car, with the full number plate. With the help of traffic cameras, he was quickly discovered and arrested on a highway. At the time he was unarmed and did not offer any resistance.
“My father’s life is running out,” Trump’s son Eric told Fox News. Trump was hit in the ear on July 13 during a speech in Butler, Pennsylvania, by a gunman hiding on a roof in front of the stage. He was then shot dead by Secret Service snipers.
Trump himself responded combatively, as in Butler. In a message to his supporters, he wrote: “There were shots fired in my neighborhood, but before the rumors get out of hand, I first wanted to let you know: I am safe and sound. Nothing can stop me. I will never give up!”
President Joe Biden said he was relieved things had worked out well for Trump and stressed that the Secret Service must be given all the resources necessary to ensure the safety of the former president and Republican presidential nominee.
Encourage
Preventing an apparent assassination attempt and quickly arresting the suspect is a boost for the Secret Service, which came under fire after the Butler attack for security lapses and a lack of communication with local police.
But there was also criticism Sunday afternoon that Trump was spending his free time in a place where not all the surrounding streets had been cleared. That would have happened if he were the president. After the attack on Butler, Trump’s protection has been increased, but not yet to that level.
There were also questions about the suspect’s knowledge of Trump’s activities. He had only recently decided whether and where he would play golf that Sunday afternoon.
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