Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday met with Martin County Sheriff’s deputies involved in the arrest of Ryan Wesley Routh and expressed his gratitude for their work.

The officers identified Routh’s black Nissan on the I-19 and took him into custody less than 50 minutes after Routh fled the scene at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach.

In a video posted on X, Trump shakes the hands of the deputies gathered in a room at Mar-a-Lago, and praises their work.

“I’m still here…Thank you very much,” Trump said.

WASHINGTON—The White House said that Vice President Kamala Harris reached out to former President Donald Trump on Tuesday.

"Vice President Harris called former President Trump this afternoon to speak with him directly to express that she is grateful he is safe,” a White House official said.

“It was a cordial and brief conversation."

Soon after Sunday’s incident, Harris issued a statement condemning the apparent second assassination attempt on the former president.

WASHINGTON—The White House on Tuesday afternoon responded to former president Donald Trump’s recent comments on Fox News Digital. Trump, in an interview on Monday, blamed President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris’s "rhetoric" for the latest apparent assassination attempt.

"The president and the vice president have always forcefully, forcefully condemned violence in all forms, including political violence,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing.

“And we certainly have never encouraged any violence in any way.”

Jean-Pierre referred to the president's address to the nation from the Oval Office in July, following the first assassination attempt against the former president during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

She said the president urged Americans to “bring the temperature down.”

“You heard that directly from this president, and it is not the time to tear Americans apart,” she said.

Jean-Pierre also stated that the president has no intention of softening his rhetoric regarding Trump.

"The president has always been very clear-eyed about this, about the threat the former president represents to our democracy," she said.

PALM BEACH, Fla.—Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he has talked to former President Donald Trump since the second apparent assassination attempt.

“He was in good spirits. He did remark that on that sixth hole, I think, he was in pretty good shape for potential birdie,” DeSantis said. “And if you know the former president, that matters a lot to him when you're talking about this.”

Trump was golfing at Trump International Golf Club when a Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of a rifle through a fence surrounding the golf club. The agent fired at the suspect, Ryan Routh, who fled the scene but was captured shortly thereafter.

PALM BEACH, Fla.—Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that he will be signing an executive order to assign the case of the second assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump to Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody.

DeSantis noted that Moody has jurisdiction of the case given that the suspect, Ryan Routh, committed offenses across multiple counties.

“Also the state of Florida has jurisdiction over the most serious, straightforward offense, which is attempted murder,” he said.

“I've directed state agencies to move expeditiously and provide full transparency to the public.”

DeSantis expressed doubt about the federal government’s capability to take on the case, in which the incident occurred at Trump International Golf Club, while the GOP presidential nominee was golfing.

“In my judgment, it's not in the best interest of our state or our nation as the same federal agencies that are seeking to prosecute Donald Trump are leading this investigation—especially when the most serious, straightforward offense constitutes a violation of state law, but not federal law,” he said.

DeSantis said the federal government does not have the jurisdiction to bring an attempted murder charge and therefore the State of Florida should move on the case so that the suspect can get life in prison.

Moody said Florida doesn't want a “turf war” with federal agencies.

Steven Witkoff said on X Spaces that he felt “blessed” to have been out on the golf course with former President Donald Trump during the second assassination attempt.

“I got to see what he has to live his daily life like,” he said. “Two assassination attempts in the last two months. He’s been vilified. He ought to be commended for his four years of public service as a president.”

Witkoff praised the former president as being courageous and for asking about his friends first during the event.

He also followed Trump in praising the Secret Service for their actions.

“They were incredible,” Witkoff said. “They put their lives on the line for him.”

Former President Donald Trump credited the civilian who took a photo of Ryan Routh’s vehicle—as he was fleeing the scene of his apparent attempted assassination of Trump—with the capture of the suspect.

As Trump was golfing at Trump International Golf Club on Sunday, Routh had allegedly taken up a position along the club’s perimeter fence using a scoped SKS-style rifle. Around 1:30 p.m. ET, a Secret Service agent patrolling the area noticed the barrel of the rifle, and immediately opened fire, authorities said.

At that point, Routh allegedly fled the scene, but not before photos of his vehicle were captured by a civilian in the area.

“The civilian did a phenomenal job. A woman. … How many people would have the brainpower to follow him and take pictures of the back of his truck?” Trump said.

He noted that with the license plate number provided by the civilian, police were then able to track and locate the vehicle. According to the criminal complaint, police arrested Routh on the Interstate 95 within 48 minutes of him fleeing the golf course.

Former President Donald Trump recounted his personal experience during an apparent assassination attempt Sunday in his first public interview since the incident.

“So I was playing golf with some of my friends, it was on a Sunday morning, very peaceful, very beautiful weather. Everything was beautiful, nice place to be, and all of a sudden we heard shots being fired in the air, and I guess probably four or five, and it sounded like bullets,” Trump said during a conversation on X Spaces about cryptocurrency.

“The Secret Service knew immediately it was bullets, and they grabbed me,” Trump said.

“I would have loved to have sunk that last putt, but we decided, ‘Let's get out of here,’” Trump said.

After the incident, Trump and his golf partner, Steve Witkoff, were taken by Secret Service agents to the more defensible clubhouse.

Trump said that he was impressed with the actions of the Secret Service agent who first noticed the gunman, whose barrel was barely visible through the perimeter fence and bushes surrounding Trump International Golf Club.

“Secret Service did a great job … the sheriff’s office, law enforcement, everyone did a great job,” Trump said.

Former President Donald Trump began a livestream discussion on X Monday night by talking about the second assassination attempt on his life.

“It was quite something,” Trump said from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. “But it worked out well and Secret Service did an excellent job, and they have the man behind bars and hopefully he’s going to be there for a long time.”

Trump called the suspected would-be assassin a “very, very dangerous person.”

The White House said that President Joe Biden spoke with former President Donald Trump on Monday, following an earlier unsuccessful attempt by the president to connect with Trump.

“President Biden just spoke with former President Trump and conveyed his relief that he is safe,” a White House official said.

“The two shared a cordial conversation, and former President Trump expressed his thanks for the call.”

Trump, in a statement issued by his campaign, said, “We had a very nice call. It was about Secret Service protection.” His campaign did not provide additional details.

During a press conference on Monday, law enforcement officials said that they’re looking into the details of social media posts by Ryan Routh, the suspect in an apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

“The subject had an active online presence, and we are going through what he posted and any searches he conducted online,” said FBI Miami Field Office special agent in charge Jeffrey Veltri.

Veltri also referenced a New York Times article that mentions Routh, who at the time was attempting to recruit and transport NATO-trained Afghanis in Pakistan and Iran into Ukraine.

“The FBI has sent multiple requests to companies for returns on the subject's phone and social media accounts. We received several returns and are waiting on additional responses from other companies as well,” Veltri said.

“Our investigative team is completing analysis of the returns and action leads as needed, and we anticipate continuing until the FBI knows the full totality of the subject’s social media presence.”

The FBI said the second apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump is “extremely serious,” said special agent Jeffrey Veltri, who leads the bureau’s office in Miami.

“We view this as extremely serious, and are determined to provide answers as to what went up to the events which took place,” Veltri said at a press conference.

The FBI is “determined to provide answers as to what led up to the events which took place,” he said.

​​Reporters questioned President Joe Biden upon his return to the White House from Delaware on Monday afternoon, asking if he had contacted former President Donald Trump following an apparent second assassination attempt against him in Florida.

Biden appeared to respond: “I called him, but he wasn’t available. I’m going to try again later.”

The White House later clarified the president’s response to reporters, stating, "Yes. They did not connect, but he called."

On his way to Delaware earlier in the day, the president told reporters that the Secret Service needs more personnel.

“Congress should respond to their needs,” he said.

Addressing the 2024 National HBCU Week Conference in Delaware, Biden noted that the Secret Service is conducting an evaluation to determine whether any adjustments are necessary to better protect the former president.

“In America, we resolve our differences peacefully at the ballot box and not at the end of a gun,” he told the crowd at the conference.

“America has suffered too many times the tragedy of an assassin’s bullet. It solves nothing and just tears the country apart. We must do everything we can to prevent it and never give it any oxygen.”

There is “not much difference” in security at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate between 2017 when he became president, and now, according to Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe.

Rowe said there is a “heavy uniformed presence” and “additional assets of the Secret Service” at the Florida property.

“When you look at that footprint … there's not much difference there,” he said, making a comparison to 2017.

The FBI is “still exploring” whether or not Ryan Routh, the suspect in the apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump acted alone, or if he was part of a larger plot.

“Our investigation will determine that,” said FBI Miami Field Office special agent in charge Jeffrey Veltri.

So far, it appears that Routh wasn't working with others, Veltri indicated, but emphasized that the investigation is ongoing.

“We do not have information that he's been acting with anyone else at present,” Veltri said on Monday.

Earlier the same day, Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said authorities are “laser-focused” on the issue.

Routh was spotted by a Secret Service agent along the perimeter fence of the Trump International Golf Club at around 1:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. He fled after receiving fire from an agent, and was later arrested without incident as he drove northbound on I-95.

Because Routh is not from the area—he’s known to live in Hawaii and records indicate he may have previously lived in North Carolina—questions linger about what prompted him to travel to the area Sunday, and if he was a lone actor or is part of a larger conspiracy.

The Secret Service has been having discussions with Congress and is confident that the agency will get the resources it needs, said the agency’s acting director, Ronald Rowe, at a press conference.

Rowe said the agency is requesting funding from Congress to train counter snipers.

Rowe also said that the agency needs the funding to hire more personnel.

“We need to get out of a reactive model and get to a readiness model,” he said.

President Joe Biden said earlier on Monday that the Secret Service “needs more help,” adding Congress should respond to the agency’s needs.

“They may decide whether they need more personnel or not,” Biden said.

Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe said he doesn't have information on whether the suspect in the apparent attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump knew that the former president would be golfing on Sunday.

The acting director said Trump’s golfing trip was an “off-the-record movement” not on his official schedule, and that “the president wasn't even really supposed to go there.”

“And so we put together a security plan, and that security plan worked,” Rowe said.

Rowe noted that because of the "layered" approach taken by the Secret Service, the suspect never got a clear line of sight to Trump before a Secret Service agent shot at him and he fled.

“What we did yesterday was exercise our emergency plan based on the number of tactical assets and the highest level of protection that we are providing,” the acting director said.

The Secret Service had increased assets after the July 13 attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump—an accommodation at President Joe Biden’s direction.

Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe commended Secret Service agents and local enforcement for preventing Ryan Wesley Routh from firing his weapon on Sunday.

“The [Secret Service] agent's hyper vigilance and the detailed swift action was textbook,” Rowe said.

The first assassination attempt was at a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Suspect Ryan Wesley Routh did not have a line of sight to former President Donald Trump at Trump International Golf Club in Florida, according to Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe.

The suspect also did not fire his weapon, said Rowe.

A Secret Service agent who was patrolling the golf course perimeter ahead of Trump spotted the barrel of Routh’s gun and fired at him. Routh escaped but was captured later while driving on the highway.

The FBI received a tip about the suspect in the apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in 2019, special agent in charge Jeffrey Veltri said during a press conference Monday.

Veltri said an individual tipped the FBI that Routh, a convicted felon, was illegally in possession of a firearm.

However, when the FBI followed up on the complaint, Veltri said, the complainant “did not verify” that he or she had furnished the initial information.

At that point, Veltri said, the information was passed to local law enforcement in Hawaii, where Routh was living at the time.

Federal law enforcement has been executing search warrants and conducting interviews related to Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect behind the apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump, according to FBI special agent Jeffrey Veltri, who leads the bureau’s Miami office.

The FBI offices in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Charlotte, North Carolina, have been interviewing “several family members, friends and former colleagues” of Routh, said Veltri. He said the bureau has been collecting evidence and taking DNA samples from interviewees.

The FBI “will also process the subject's vehicle for evidence,” said Veltri.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that Sunday's apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump is a “moment of soul searching for all Americans.”

“It's a time to reflect on the ways that our political process has been injected by reprehensible violence,” McConnell said on the Senate floor Monday.

“In America, our democracy flows from the ballot box, not from the barrel of a gun, period.”

McConnell went on to say that “the American people deserve answers, they deserve assurance that a former president, who tens of millions of Americans have nominated once again, will receive every appropriate measure of security, and they ought to receive them without delay.”

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said that former President Donald Trump has invited the officers who assisted in the arrest of Ryan Wesley Routh to Mar-a-Lago.

Routh, the suspect in an apparent assassination attempt, was apprehended on the northern stretch of I-95 running through Martin County after he fled from Trump International Golf Club, where he had set up two bags, a digital camera, and an SKS-style rifle with an attached scope.

“I just thank God we found that car and we're able to give … former President Trump peace of mind,” Snyder said.

“He's already invited the men and women that were involved in the stop to go to Mar-a-Lago and be thanked for what they did,” Snyder said.

Snyder said that “every available unit” in the county, including roughly 30 deputies, detectives, and SWAT operators, were dispatched to apprehend Routh.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that it is possible the Secret Service could get additional funding in light of the second attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

“Congress has a responsibility to ensure the Secret Service and all law enforcement have the resources they need to do their jobs,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Monday.

“So as we continue the appropriations process, if the Secret Service is in need of more resources, we are prepared to provide it for them, possibly in the upcoming funding agreement," he said.

Schumer condemned the apparent assassination attempt.

"There is no place in America for political violence of any kind. I'm glad the former president is safe, and I applaud the Secret Service and all first responders for acting quickly before anyone got hurt,” he said.

“As for the perpetrator, he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, we almost do our part to ensure an incident like this does not happen again.”

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said authorities investigating the failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump are “laser-focused” on determining if the suspect acted alone, or if he was part of a larger conspiracy.

The suspect, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, was taken into custody within hours of the apparent assassination attempt. Officials believe that Routh didn’t let off any rounds at Trump before being identified by a Secret Service agent, taking fire, and fleeing.

Snyder said that questions linger about why Routh, who is not from the area, was there in the first place.

North Carolina criminal records show an individual of the same name living in Greensboro, North Carolina between at least 2001 and 2010. A since-deleted Facebook profile also showed an individual of the same name and appearance living in Kaaawa, Hawaii.

The Epoch Times has not been able to independently verify if these records refer to the same Ryan Routh.

“I think what we’re finding out [is that] he’s not from this area. Which of course raises the bigger question: How does a guy from not here get all the way to Trump International, realize that the … former president of the United States is golfing, and is able to get a rifle in that vicinity?” Snyder said.

“I think that’s the question the FBI, the Secret Service are laser-focused on today. Is this guy part of a conspiracy? Is he a lone gunman?” Snyder said, adding that the case would take on “a more ominous tone” if it’s discovered that Routh wasn’t acting alone.

During a press conference the day following an apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Florida, Martin County Sheriff William Synder shared details of the suspect’s arrest.

The suspect, who has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, is alleged to have taken a position along the perimeter fence of Trump International Golf Club, where he set up two bags and an SKS-style rifle with an attached scope.

According to officials, Routh didn’t let off any rounds before he was noticed and shot at by a Secret Service agent around 1:30 p.m. ET. At that point, Routh fled the scene, but not before a witness photographed his vehicle and license plate.

According to Snyder, law enforcement quickly received the photos and was tipped off that Routh was likely heading north on I-95.

At that point “every available unit went out,” Snyder said.

Martin County sheriff’s deputies and detectives took up positions at every mile marker along the interstate from one county line to the other. In total, Snyder estimated that about 30 units were either on scene or en route, including some SWAT officers who had volunteered to come in to assist.

A deputy quickly identified the vehicle matching the description provided by the witness, but Snyder said officers waited to engage until back-up arrived.

“So we followed the vehicle until my big pickup trucks got on location, and with those big front end bumpers, they maneuvered that vehicle to a stop so there was no chase,” Snyder said.

At that point, Snyder said, deputies arrested Routh, and held him in custody until federal officials arrived. Martin County deputies did not take a statement from Routh.

The Secret Service was on scene first, Snyder said, followed quickly by the FBI.

Bomb-sniffing dogs from neighboring St. Lucie County were also brought on scene as a safety precaution, though no explosives were found in Routh’s vehicle.

The witness who had taken the photographs was taken to the scene via helicopter, where they were able to positively identify the vehicle as the one that they had seen leaving the golf course earlier.

Snyder, who said he arrived on scene a few minutes after the arrest, described Routh’s “facial affect” as being “very bland.”

“He was not emoting any emotions at all. He made no statements,” Snyder said.

After federal officials arrived at the jail, Routh was turned over to the FBI, Snyder said.

There will be a “small army” of law enforcement personnel to protect former President Donald Trump during his Sept. 18 rally in Long Island, New York, said Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman at a press conference Monday.

“We feel very confident that we will have the assets necessary to make sure that this is safe for everyone,” he said.

“This will be the safest place in the country on that day,” said Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder.

President Joe Biden decried the apparent second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, saying that political violence “solves nothing.”

“America has suffered too many times the tragedy of an assassin’s bullet,” Biden said during a Monday speech at an unrelated event. “It solves nothing. It just tears the country apart. We must do everything we can to prevent it and never give it any oxygen.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland said on Monday that the Department of Justice will “work tirelessly to ensure accountability” and “bring every available resource to bear" in its investigation into the second assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump.

“We are grateful that the former president is safe,” Garland said in an emailed statement.

The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession and receipt of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. The former carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, while the latter carries a penalty of up to 5 years. Routh made his first court appearance on Sept. 16 to hear the charges and did not enter a plea.

Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect behind the apparent second assassination attempt against Trump had a criminal history—all in Guilford County, North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.

Routh was convicted in December 2002 of possessing a weapon of mass destruction, a felony.

In January 2003, he was convicted of several misdemeanor vehicular offenses including driving with a revoked license, carrying a concealed weapon, hit and run, and resisting an officer. In March 2010, he was convicted of possessing stolen goods, a felony. The following July, he was convicted of a misdemeanor charge of possessing stolen goods.

All of the convictions resulted in probation, aside from the 2002 conviction, which resulted in suspended sentences.

The complaint against Routh stemming from the incident at Trump International Golf Club only mentions the December 2002 and March 2010 incidents.

Steve Witkoff, former President Donald Trump’s golfing partner, who was with him on Sunday when the apparent second assassination attempt took place, said that the day is one “I will never forget.”

“I watched my very close friend @realDonaldTrump be his typical strong, courageous and stoic self, concerned about his friends first before thinking of himself,” Witkoff wrote on X. “That is the truest example of leadership.”

Witkoff thanked the Secret Service for preventing “a much more terrible result.”

“I know President Trump’s truth—which as I said at the RNC continues to march on. Now I have personally witnessed his courage under fire and that is a man who inspires me,” Witkoff said.

After the incident, Trump and Witkoff were rushed by the Secret Service to the more defensible clubhouse. According to Fox News host Sean Hannity, who spoke with Trump and Witkoff after the incident, Trump’s main concern in the clubhouse was ensuring that everyone who had been nearby was unharmed.

The Martin County Sheriff's Office has released body camera footage of officers arresting Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect behind the second assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on Sunday.



An officer can be seen repeatedly shouting at Routh, “Take two steps to your right.” He also told Routh to “walk straight back” and to “keep walking.”

Routh can be seen with his hands in the air then holding up his shirt, as police grab him and put his arms behind his back to arrest him.

Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), who heads a bipartisan task force investigating the first attempt to kill former President Donald Trump, said his group likely will add the second attempted assassination to its work.

In an exclusive interview with The Epoch Times on Sept. 16, Kelly said: “I think that we're probably going to merge the two events with the task force, one being a very public event, the other being a very private event.”

The first attempted assassination, which wounded the former president and two others and left one attendee dead, occurred at a well-publicized rally on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania; in contrast, the Sept. 15 incident, which resulted in no injuries, happened while Trump was golfing at his members-only club.

Trump is known as an avid golfer who owns several golf courses, including the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where the incident took place.

Kelly said he had spoken to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) about expanding the task force’s role to encompass both apparent assassination attempts.

Kelly’s group, the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump, began its investigation after the House of Representatives voted unanimously to form it in late July. Since then, the group has amassed thousands of pages of documents about the attempted assassination in Butler—Kelly’s hometown. Kelly was present at the rally, along with several relatives.

Although several other groups are also investigating the Butler incident, Kelly said, “we're the only ones with subpoena power,” giving the task force legal authority to compel people to produce the requested documents or face possible prosecution.

The task force is “serious about getting to the answers,” Kelly said, adding that if anyone is “dragging their feet,” the panel will push back.

Asked whether he could confirm some media outlets’ reporting that Secret Service personnel had been disciplined for the Butler incident, he replied that it was his understanding that some Secret Service personnel were “put on some type of a leave of duty,” but he needs to gather more information.

Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect behind the second assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump, was pulled over 48 minutes after he fled the scene at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on Sunday, according to the criminal complaint.

A Secret Service agent noticed the barrel of a rifle pointed at the golf course through the boundary fence and opened fire. Routh did not fire any shots, officials said.

The Martin County Sheriff's Office pulled over Routh on the I-95. He was driving a black Nissan, which had been reported stolen, according to the complaint.

The vehicle’s license plate matched Routh’s white Ford truck, according to the complaint.

Local and federal authorities will give an update on the investigation into the second apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a press conference at 4 p.m. ET from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in West Palm Beach.

The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, has been charged with two federal gun crimes and briefly appeared in court earlier Monday. He did not enter a plea.

The criminal complaint against Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect behind the second assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump, has been released.

Routh was in the vicinity of Trump International Golf Club, where Trump went golfing, between approximately 1:59 a.m. to 1:31 p.m. ET, according to the complaint. Routh allegedly pointed his gun through the fence surrounding the members-only club while Trump was playing golf; a Secret Service agent saw the barrel and fired at Routh, who fled the scene but was captured soon thereafter.

A digital camera, two bags, a loaded "SKS-style 7.62x39 caliber rifle" with a scope, and a plastic bag containing food were recovered at the scene, according to the affidavit. The serial number on the rifle was “obliterated” and “unreadable to the naked eye,” it said.

Routh was charged on the federal level with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Those charges together carry a maximum of 20 years in prison, with the former charge being the most serious and carrying a penalty of up to 15 years behind bars.

The prosecution requests Routh remain in detention ahead of his trial, according to the complaint.

Routh made an eight-minute court appearance Monday morning but did not enter a plea.

Read the complaint here.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) announced that he will put forth legislation that would enable better security for former President Donald Trump following the second assassination attempt against him—an incident Scott called “unacceptable and sickening.”

“I’m working on a bill to increase Secret Service protections to the same level as POTUS & VP. We cannot let this happen again,” Scott posted on X.

West Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said that the perimeter surrounding Trump International Golf Club, where Trump was golfing, was not secured because Trump is not the sitting president and that the Secret Service can only provide limited coverage.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Monday he has yet to talk to former President Donald Trump following the second attempted assassination against the GOP presidential nominee.

DeSantis, who reiterated there will be a state probe about the incident, said that federal authorities investigating the matter “may not be the best thing.”

“I understand that the feds are involved but we do believe that there were multiple violations of state law. We also believe that there is a need to make sure that the truth about all this comes out in a way that is credible,” he said at a press conference.

Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect behind the second assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump, has been charged with federal gun crimes.

Routh, 58, appeared in federal court for eight minutes and was informed of the charges: possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Those charges together carry a maximum of 20 years in prison, with the latter charge being the most serious and carrying a penalty of up to 15 years behind bars.

Routh told Magistrate Judge Ryon McCabe he makes about $3,000 per month and has no savings or assets. He said he owns two trucks in Hawaii that are worth about $1,000. He said he sometimes supports his 25-year-old son.

Routh did not enter a plea. Prosecutors asked that he remain detained as a flight risk. His next court appearances have been scheduled for Sept. 23 and Sept. 30 for a bond hearing and a probable cause hearing or arraignment, respectively.

Speaking with Fox News Digital on Monday morning, former President Donald Trump said Ryan Wesley Routh, the man suspected of trying to assassinate him on Sunday, was influenced by Democrat leaders’ past statements.

“He believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it,” Trump said. “Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at.”

Trump cited past comments the two leaders had made, calling Trump a “threat to democracy.

The FBI is investigating an apparent assassination on former President Donald Trump while he was playing golf at his golf course in Florida on Sept. 15. The incident occurred two months after the former president survived another attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The suspect, armed with an SKS-style rifle, has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii. He appeared in a Florida court on Sept. 16. Prosecutors have charged him with two federal gun crimes: possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

Trump is safe and has thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement for protecting him.

Here’s what else to know:

• At 1:30 pm on Sunday, while Trump was putting at the fifth hole, a Secret Service agent patrolling ahead of the former president noticed a rifle with a scope sticking through the fence and opened fire at the threat, authorities said.


• The suspect was 300 to 500 yards away from Trump and did not fire any shots, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff. The man fled in a black SUV.


• A witness saw him run from the bushes, and took a picture of his car and notified authorities.


• Ryan Wesley Routh was apprehended on Interstate 95 in the neighboring Martin County and taken into custody. Social media posts show Routh, 58, was a strong supporter of Ukraine.


• Left at the scene were two backpacks and a GoPro hung from the fence, suggesting Routh intended to film the incident, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff. A loaded SKS-style rifle was also left near the fence.


• Trump’s campaign schedule appears unchanged in the wake of the incident.


• President Joe Biden said the Secret Service "needs more help" and asked Congress to respond to the agency's needs.

Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect behind the second assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump, has entered the court wearing dark blue jail scrubs. His arms and legs were shackled.

He did not look nervous while waiting for his hearing.

Magistrate Judge Ryon McCabe will preside over the hearing, Shanda Walker, courtroom deputy for the magistrate judge section, told The Epoch Times.

The charges against Routh will be announced during the court appearance. On Sunday, Dave Aronberg, state attorney for Florida's Palm Beach County, says that his prosecutors are working on charging the suspect with state-level crimes, but said that federal charges are also possible.

Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect behind the second assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump, will be making his initial court appearance at 10 a.m. ET at the Paul G. Rogers Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in West Palm Beach, Shanda Walker, courtroom deputy for the magistrate judge section, told The Epoch Times.

He will appear before Magistrate Judge Ryon McCabe, she said.

The charges against Routh will be announced during the court appearance. On Sunday, Dave Aronberg, state attorney for Florida's Palm Beach County, says that his prosecutors are working on charging the suspect with state-level crimes, but said that federal charges are also possible.

Routh was just hundreds of yards away from Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. A Secret Service Agent spotted the barrel of a gun through a hole in a fence at the perimeter of the course and fired at the suspect. The suspect did not fire shots, West Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told Fox News.

The suspected would-be assassin of former President Donald Trump has been identified by officials as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58.

Few details have been verified about Routh, including a motive.

According to the official account so far, Routh allegedly took a position along the perimeter fence at the Trump International Golf Course at West Palm Beach, where he set up with an AK-47 style rifle, a GoPro, and two nondescript bags.

A Secret Service agent, patrolling the golf course ahead of Trump, who was at the fifth hole, noticed a rifle poking through the fence line and opened fire, at which point Routh fled. Routh was 300 to 500 yards from Trump, authorities said, and had a scope attachment on his rifle.

Routh was later apprehended on I-95 after a witness provided photos of his vehicle and license plate to law enforcement.

Routh is currently in the custody of the Martin County Police Department, where state attorneys are in the process of charging him with a series of crimes.

The incident might not be Routh’s first run-in with law enforcement.

According to a record search of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, a man named Ryan Wesley Routh has a rap sheet going back to 2001. It shows that in 2002 he was convicted of possessing a weapon of mass destruction, referring to a fully automatic rifle, which were outlawed in the United States in 1986.

The Epoch Times hasn't been able to independently verify it is the same Ryan Wesley Routh.

An archived X account under the same name as the suspect includes several posts expressing support for Ukraine, Taiwan, and NATO.

One post expressed interest in forming a volunteer force of Afghan soldiers to assist police in Haiti. The account owner also expressed interest in forming a Taiwanese foreign legion composed of NATO-trained Afghanis.

The account also reposted two posts supportive of Ukraine.

Someone of the same name also appeared in a New York Times article from March 2023.

That article described Routh as working to put together a foreign fighting force composed of NATO-trained Afghanis to aid Ukraine in its war with Russia.

Routh had a website where he sought to recruit volunteers to join the Ukrainian forces in Kyiv, according to the Associated Press. He also reportedly collected donations to aid in those efforts.

In a 2022 interview with Newsweek, Routh advocated for the U.S. to get involved in the conflict, which he said was “about good versus evil.”

The New York Times article said Routh spent several months in Ukraine in 2022 and planned to move dozens of Afghani soldiers who fled the Taliban, sometimes illegally, into Ukraine from Pakistan and Iran.

Trump has been critical of the Russia–Ukraine conflict, which he said he would quickly end, if elected. He has also criticized NATO members that have fallen short of the 2 percent GDP contribution obligation.

Routh’s son, Oran Routh, told DailyMail.com that his father hates Trump as “every reasonable person does.”

The younger Routh said his father was not a violent person and that the allegations against him were out of character for him.

“He’s my dad and all he’s had is couple traffic tickets, as far as I know,” he said. “'That’s crazy. I know my dad and love my dad, but that’s nothing like him.”

Voter records show Ryan W. Routh is currently registered as an unaffiliated voter in Greensboro, North Carolina. He is originally from the Tar Heel State, but moved to Hawaii at one point.

The suspect did not fire shots at the Trump International Golf Club, where former President Donald Trump was golfing Sunday, according to West Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.

​​“He did not get off any rounds, and that was because the U.S. Secret Service agent acted so quickly,” Bradshaw told Fox News, referring to the suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh.

“At the end of the day, the system worked,” he said.

“This is not like what happened in Butler,” Bradshaw said, referring to the July 13 attempted assassination of Trump at a campaign rally, days before Trump became the GOP presidential nominee.

The suspect was 300 to 500 yards from Trump when a Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of a rifle through a fence as Routh was allegedly in the bushes outside the perimeter of the course. The agent fired at the suspect, who fled, and was later arrested on a nearby highway.

President Joe Biden issued a statement on Sunday evening, condemning the possible second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump while he was golfing at his club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Biden confirmed that he had been briefed about the incident and he commended the work of the Secret Service and law enforcement officers.

“I am relieved that the former President is unharmed. There is an active investigation into this incident as law enforcement gathers more details about what happened,” Biden said.

“As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country, and I have directed my team to continue to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President’s continued safety.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Sunday evening that the state of Florida would be conducting an investigation into the failed attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life.

“The State of Florida will be conducting its own investigation regarding the attempted assassination at Trump International Golf Club,” DeSantis said in a post on X.

“The people deserve the truth about the would be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee.”

Trump survived another assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, just over two months ago. The ongoing investigation has not yet identified a motive for the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks.

The FBI is leading the investigation into the Florida incident, with assistance from the Secret Service, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s office, and the Martin County Sheriff’s office.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he and his wife met with former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago after the attempted assassination, adding that no American leader “has endured more attacks” than Trump.

“Kelly and I are departing Mar-a-Lago, where we just spent a few hours with President Trump and are thanking God for protecting him today—once again,” Johnson said in a post on X, attaching a photo of himself, his wife Kelly, and Trump.

It’s unclear whether the visit had been planned in advance or if Johnson came in response to the incident.

“No leader [in] American history has endured more attacks and remained so strong and resilient,” Johnson said. “He is unstoppable.”

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."

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.