By Jack Phillips, Joseph Lord and Emel Akan
Second Assassination Attempt on Trump—What We Know So Far
At around 1:30 p.m. ET, while former President Donald Trump was golfing at the Trump International Golf Course at West Palm Beach, the Secret Service opened fire at a man hidden in bushes surrounding the golf course who had a rifle pointed toward the course, authorities say. Trump and his campaign have confirmed he is unharmed. “I am safe and well!” Trump wrote in all caps in a social media post after the incident. The FBI said in a statement that the shooting “appears to be” a second attempted assassination of the president, two months after he survived an attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The agency is leading the investigation into the incident. Palm Beach County officials said that the suspect, armed with an “AK-47 style” rifle and a scope, was within 300 to 500 yards of Trump. A Secret Service agent who was walking on the golf course a hole ahead of where Trump noticed the rifle sticking out of the fence and opened fire. The gunman then fled in a black SUV. The suspect, whose name has not yet been released, was taken into custody after a police traffic stop on I-95.The suspect had two backpacks hung on the fence and a GoPro intending to film the incident, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. The suspect’s motives are unknown. In a statement posted to X, Vice President Kamala Harris wrote, “I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.”
Bipartisan Task Force Requests Secret Service Briefing
A bipartisan House task force investigating the first assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump has requested a briefing from the Secret Service in the wake of the second attempt, the panel announced Sunday.
“The Task Force is monitoring this attempted assassination of former President Trump in West Palm Beach this afternoon. We have requested a briefing with the U.S. Secret Service about what happened and how security responded,” Chairman Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Ranking Member Jason Crow (D-Colo.) said in a joint statement.
“We are thankful that the former President was not harmed, but remain deeply concerned about political violence and condemn it in all of its forms. The Task Force will share updates as we learn more.”
Hannity: Secret Service ‘Pounced’ After Shots Fired in Palm Beach
Fox News host Sean Hannity said that Secret Service agents “pounced” into action after hearing gunshots at former President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach golf course.
Hannity said he spoke to Trump, as well as Trump’s golf partner, Steve Witkoff, after the attempted assassination, which took place around 1:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday.
The two men told Hannity that they were on the fifth hole and were about to putt, when they heard a series of “pops” nearby.
”Within seconds, the Secret Service pounced on the president and covered him,” Hannity said Witkoff told him. “You had snipers with tripods. They knew the direction where the shots had been fired. And they had eyes on the location where the shots had been fired.”
Hannity said that after the shooting, Trump was brought to the clubhouse, at which point his main concern was ensuring that everyone near the incident was unharmed. He joked that he was upset that he wouldn’t be able to finish the hole he was playing.
In the aftermath of the incident, Trump spoke with Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), his running mate, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of his allies in the Senate.
Trump: ‘My Resolve Is Only Stronger’ After 2nd Assassination Attempt
Former President Donald Trump said in a fundraising email Sunday that his “resolve is only stronger” in the wake of a second attempted assassination, this time in Palm Beach, Florida.
“My resolve is only stronger after another attempt on my life,” he wrote.
Trump’s campaign website redirects users to WinRed, the GOP fundraising arm, and a message reading, “I am safe and well, and no one was hurt. Thank God! But, there are people in this world who will do whatever it takes to stop us.”
The second attempt on the former president’s life occurred two months after an event in Butler, Pennsylvania, in which shots were fired at Trump.
The identity and motive of the Florida suspect are unknown, but officials have confirmed that the would-be assassin is in the custody of Florida’s Martin County Police Department with state-level charges pending. Officials say the suspect could also face federal charges.
First Crime Scene Photos Released by Officials
The first official photos from the scene of a suspected second attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life have been released by officials.
The photos show two nondescript bags and a GoPro camera hanging on a fence, indicating that the suspect intended to film the attack, according to Sheriff Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. It also shows an AK-47-style rifle leaning on the fence.
Around 1:30 p.m. EDT, a Secret Service agent patrolling the Trump International Golf Course at West Palm Beach, where Trump was golfing, noticed a rifle pointed through the perimeter fence. The agent immediately opened fire, causing the suspect to flee.
The suspect, whose identity and motive have not yet been released, was apprehended on I-95 after a witness captured photos of his vehicle and license plate and passed them to law enforcement.
The suspect is currently in custody of Florida’s Martin County Police Department, and officials are working on warrant and pretrial detention applications. Currently, the suspect is only facing state-level charges, but officials say federal charges could also be levied.
Schumer, Walz Condemn Shooting
Top Democrats condemned what appears to be a second attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life in public statements.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Sunday evening said he had been briefed on the incident, and expressed gratitude to law enforcement.
“I was just briefed by the Acting Director of the Secret Service,” Schumer said in a post on X. “I applaud the Secret Service for their quick response to ensure former President Trump’s safety.”
“There is no place in this country for political violence of any kind,” Schumer said. “The perpetrator must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate, also condemned the incident.
Walz said he is “glad” to hear that the former president is safe.
“Violence has no place in our country,” he wrote in a post on X. “It’s not who we are as a nation.”
Walz’s comments were made after an earlier statement by Harris, who said she had been briefed on the incident and likewise expressed gratitude that Trump was safe.
The suspect, who has not yet been identified, is currently in the custody of Florida’s Martin County Police Department.
Local prosecutors are working on state-level warrant and pretrial detention applications, but officials say federal charges are also possible.
The FBI has said that the incident “appears to be” a second attempt on Trump’s life, but the suspect’s identity and motives for the attack remain unclear.
Palm Beach Sheriff: Secret Service ‘Did Exactly What They Should Have Done’
Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw said that the Secret Service “did exactly what they should have done” ahead of and following a second attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life at his south Florida golf course.
In a press conference following the incident, Bradshaw said that Trump has fewer Secret Service agents protecting him than a sitting president.
Because he’s not president, “security is limited to the areas that the areas that the Secret Service deems possible,” Bradshaw said.
“I would imagine that the next time he comes to the golf course, there will probably be a little more people around the perimeter. But the Secret Service did exactly what they should have done, they provided exactly what the protection should have been and their agent did a fantastic job.”
While former presidents and their spouses receive protection by the Secret Service for life, the specifics depend on the agency’s perception of threat levels. Typically, a former presidents’ protection wanes over time after they leave office.
The second attempted assassination follows an earlier failed attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, that led to heightened scrutiny on the Secret Service and the resignation of the agency’s director at the time, Kimberly Cheatle.
Officials Work on State-Level Charges, Federal Charges Possible
Dave Aronberg, state attorney for Florida’s Palm Beach County, says that his prosecutors are working on charging the would-be assassin of former President Donald Trump with state-level crimes, but said that federal charges are also possible.
Currently, Aronberg said, prosecutors in his office are working on crafting an application for warrants and pretrial detention of the suspect, who hasn’t yet been officially identified by authorities.
“Our filing of the warrant and charges at the state level does not preclude the federal charges that could be coming,” Aronberg said. “But in the meantime, it looks like the warrants and a pretrial detention motion will happen first.”
Local officials have confirmed that the suspect, who fled after facing fire from a Secret Service agent, was pulled over on I-95 and taken into custody by Martin County Police Department.
According to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, a Secret Service agent screening the course noticed a rifle sticking out of a fence surrounding the area and immediately opened fire, shooting between four and six rounds. Authorities said it was unclear if the gunman took any shots.
The suspect fled, but a witness took a picture of the assailant’s vehicle and license plate that was handed over to law enforcement, ultimately enabling police to apprehend him on the interstate.
Trump has confirmed that he is unharmed.
Second Assassination Attempt on Trump—What We Know So Far
At around 1:30 p.m. ET, while former President Donald Trump was golfing at the Trump International Golf Course at West Palm Beach, the Secret Service opened fire at a man hidden in bushes surrounding the golf course who had a rifle pointed toward the course, authorities say. Trump and his campaign have confirmed he is unharmed. “I am safe and well!” Trump wrote in all caps in a social media post after the incident. The FBI said in a statement that the shooting “appears to be” a second attempted assassination of the president, two months after he survived an attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The agency is leading the investigation into the incident. Palm Beach County officials said that the suspect, armed with an “AK-47 style” rifle and a scope, was within 300 to 500 yards of Trump. A Secret Service agent who was walking on the golf course a hole ahead of where Trump noticed the rifle sticking out of the fence and opened fire. The gunman then fled in a black SUV. The suspect, whose name has not yet been released, was taken into custody after a police traffic stop on I-95.The suspect had two backpacks hung on the fence and a GoPro intending to film the incident, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. The suspect’s motives are unknown. In a statement posted to X, Vice President Kamala Harris wrote, “I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.”
Lawmakers React to 2nd Assassination Attempt
Lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle condemned the news of a suspected second attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life on Sunday, calling for peace and expressing opposition to political violence.
In a campaign email after the incident, many details of which remain unknown, Trump confirmed he was safe.
“There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I am safe and well! Nothing will slow me down. I will never surrender! I will always love you for supporting me. Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again. May God bless you, Donald Trump,” the email read, some in all caps.
Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s leading rival for the presidency, said in a post on X, “I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.”
President Joe Biden has not yet released a statement on the incident.
In the wake of a previous assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, Biden delivered a national address. The White House hasn’t indicated if Biden will give another such address Sunday night.
Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Trump’s running mate, wrote on X, “I’m glad President Trump is safe. I spoke to him before the news was public and he was, amazingly, in good spirits. Still much we don’t know, but I’ll be hugging my kids extra tight tonight and saying a prayer of gratitude.”
In a brief statement on X, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said, “Political violence has no place in a democratic society.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), the second highest-ranking Republican in the House, wrote, “Thank God President Trump is safe. I can’t believe I’m having to say this once again this election cycle: there is absolutely no place for violence in politics. Grateful for all law enforcement involved who stopped what could’ve been a catastrophe.”
Some Republicans quickly blamed Democrats’ rhetoric, including claims that the former president is “a threat to democracy,” for both this incident and the earlier attempt in Butler.
“Is two assassination attempts on Donald Trump’s life considered a ‘threat to democracy’ yet?” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a leading Trump ally in the House, wrote on X.
FBI Says Trump Was Target of Apparent 2nd Assassination Attempt
The FBI said on Sunday that former President Donald Trump was targeted in a suspected second assassination attempt in as many months after his campaign confirmed that shots were reported in his vicinity.
“The FBI has responded to West Palm Beach Florida and is investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump,” the FBI told The Epoch Times in a statement.
A representative of U.S. Secret Service told a news conference Sunday that a Secret Service personnel opened fire on a suspected gunman “located near the property line,” adding it’s under investigation, while the Palm Beach sheriff said that officials recovered an AK-47-style rifle with a scope, two backpacks that had “ceramic tile” inside, and a GoPro camera.
A Secret Service agent that is stationed near of Trump while he was golfing “was able to spot this rifle barrel” and “immediately [engaged] that individual, at which time the individual took off,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told the news conference.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office in Florida said it has taken a suspect into custody that is believed to be connected to reports of shots fired in the vicinity of Trump. The identity of the individual has not been disclosed.
The sheriff’s office and Martin County Sheriff William Snyder confirmed that a section of Interstate 95 was shut down, confirming to reporters that a suspect in connection to the Trump International Golf Course incident was detained. The individual, who was not identified, “was relatively calm” during the arrest, he said.
He added that law enforcement also discovered an AK-47 rifle, describing it as a “very serious incident.”
Federal law enforcement officials are on the scene, Snyder said.
A portion of Interstate 96 near State Route 74 was shut down, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post. “We will update this information as it becomes available,” the post said.
The former president’s campaign said in a statement earlier Sunday that he is safe, which was later echoed by the U.S. Secret Service. No injures were reported, law enforcement officials said.
The U.S. Secret Service said it was investigating and that the incident occurred shortly before 2 p.m. “The former president is safe,” it said.
Trump had returned to Florida this weekend from a West Coast swing that included a Friday night rally in Las Vegas and a Utah fundraiser. As of press time, he has not issued a statement on the matter on his social media website, Truth Social.
An email sent out by Trump said that he is “safe and well” after the reports of shots being fired.
“There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” he said. “Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me.”
The White House said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, had both been briefed and would be kept updated on the investigation. The White House said they were “relieved to know Trump is safe.”
The incident occurred roughly two months after an assassination attempt on Trump’s life at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
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