For the second time in just over two months, a gunman has attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump.
“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 announced in a statement Sunday afternoon.
“Authorities just acknowledged if President Trump was president, they’d do more to protect him,” wrote House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., who was shot and seriously wounded by a gunman in 2017 when practicing with fellow Republicans for the congressional baseball game. “This must change.”
“There have been TWO attempts on Trump’s life,” Scalise added. “Secret Service must up their level of protection of him to their FULL capabilities—including expanding the perimeter.”
While Trump was golfing Sunday at his course in West Palm Beach, authorities said, a man put the muzzle of a rifle through a chain link fence around the next hole. According to Fox News, the man was between 300 and 500 yards from Trump. When he put the gun through the fence, a Secret Service agent or agents opened fire.
According to the New York Post, the man had a GoPro camera hanging on the fence, which likely was intended to be used to record the shooting on video.
The man fled in a car and was later pulled over and arrested when someone took a photo of the license plate and texted it to authorities, Fox News reported. The New York Post, citing unnamed law enforcement sources, said the alleged gunman was identified as Ryan Routh.
“Routh, who has a lengthy criminal record from North Carolina, frequently posted about politics and exclusively donated to Democratic candidates and causes dating back to 2019. He also bashed Trump in an April 22 post on X in which he declared, ‘DEMOCRACY is on the ballot and we cannot lose,'” reported the Post.
The Trump campaign put out a statement shortly after the shooting.
“There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear it first: I AM SAFE AND WELL,” the former president’s statement read. “Nothing will slow me down. I WILL NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me. Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again.”
There was a flood of reactions to the second assassination attempt on social media, including those saying it showed the need for more answers about Trump’s security.
“[W]e must ask ourselves how an assassin was allowed to get this close to President Trump again?” said Rep. Elise Stefanik, House Republican Conference chair, in a statement. “There continues to be a lack of answers for the horrific assassination attempt in Pennsylvania and we expect there to be a clear explanation of what happened today in Florida.”
“Thankfully, God continues to watch over President Trump,” the New York Republican added.
“Why isn’t the Biden-Harris Secret Service protecting Donald Trump?” posted Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., on X.
Trump’s vice-presidential running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, wrote “I’m glad President Trump is safe. I spoke to him before the news was public and he was, amazingly, in good spirits.”
Vice President Kamala Harris put out a statement 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,” she wrote.
Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, who served under President George W. Bush, wrote that the Secret Service needs to treat Trump as a sitting president and increase his security.
Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy also called on the Secret Service to massively step up its protection of Trump.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., posted on X an interview he’d done with Fox News on Sunday morning before the incident, in which he talked about the need to reform the Secret Service.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, wrote that the FBI needs to be more transparent about its investigation into the incident.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote: “I was just briefed by the Acting Director of the Secret Service. I applaud the Secret Service for their quick response to ensure former President Trump’s safety.”
Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., wrote: “It is inexplicable that this happened again.”
MSNBC host Alex Witt asked a guest whether the Trump campaign should “tone down the rhetoric.”
Kiersten Pels, communications director for Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., wrote that it was “truly horrifying” that we now have to specify which Trump assassination attempt is being referenced.
This is a breaking news story and may be updated.
