Updated20 September 2024, 11:07
Assassination attempt: Biden calls Trump – Trump accuses Biden and Harris
The alleged attempted attack in Florida is fueling concerns about politically motivated violence in the USA. In the midst of the heated atmosphere, Biden is calling for moderation. Trump is taking a different tone.
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Ryan Routh allegedly tried to shoot Donald Trump at his golf club in Florida.
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This is the second assassination attempt on the former president within two months.
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Now US President Joe Biden has spoken to Donald Trump on the phone.
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Trump blames Biden and Kamala Harris.
The alleged attempted attack on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has once again brought concerns about politically motivated violence in the USA into focus. President Joe Biden warns of further escalation and calls for a strengthening of the Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting high-ranking politicians. Trump blames the Democrat and his deputy Kamala Harris for the incident.
Charges have now been brought against the main suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh. The motive remains unclear. The investigation is in full swing.
Joe Biden: Don’t give violence oxygen
During an appearance in Philadelphia in the US state of Pennsylvania, Biden called for violence to be prevented. “We must not give it oxygen,” he said. Conflicts must be resolved at the ballot box. The president also called for better equipment for the Secret Service. The US Parliament has approved the funds for this. Representatives of both parties in Congress signaled their willingness to increase the budget for bodyguards.
The White House said that Biden and Trump spoke on the phone after the incident. In the “friendly conversation,” Biden expressed his relief that Trump was safe. Trump thanked him for the call. Trump himself initially made no comment on the conversation.
Trump accuses Biden and Harris
The Republican had previously blamed both Biden and Vice President Harris, against whom he will run in the presidential election on November 5, for the incident. “Your rhetoric is getting me shot at,” he said on Fox News. He later added on his platform Truth Social: “Bullets are flying because of this communist left wing rhetoric and it’s only going to get worse!” The Republican also used the incident as an opportunity to send out several appeals for donations to fill his campaign coffers.
Meanwhile, the main suspect in the Florida incident has been charged in federal court in the state. Ryan Wesley Routh is accused of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a weapon with a removed serial number. Further charges could follow.
According to media reports, the 58-year-old worked as a building contractor in Hawaii. He often made political statements on social networks, including about the war in Ukraine. According to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the suspect’s “active online presence” is currently the focus of the investigation, as are previous criminal offenses and possible other suspicions. Reports that he wanted to recruit Afghan soldiers to fight in Ukraine are also being investigated.
Investigations in full swing
Initial findings indicate that Routh probably acted alone. After his arrest, he invoked his right to a lawyer and has remained silent since then, as Ric Bradshaw, the sheriff in charge of Palm Beach County, explained.
The Secret Service discovered the armed suspect in the bushes at the fence of Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday afternoon and immediately opened fire on him. According to the sheriff, it is still unclear where the security forces’ bullets hit and where the suspect’s weapon came from. Cell phone data suggests that he had been in the vicinity of the crime scene for around twelve hours beforehand.
According to police, Routh did not fire a shot and fled in a car. Thanks to a witness, investigators were able to quickly identify the getaway vehicle and the suspect. Routh was arrested shortly afterwards. At the crime scene, investigators found a rifle, food supplies, a camera and ceramic tiles that may have been intended as improvised protection against bullets fired by security forces.
Security concerns before the election
The incident has fueled the debate about security measures to protect candidates just a few weeks before the presidential election. Sheriff Bradshaw stressed that the security measures for Trump could not be higher at the moment. Shortly after the alleged attempted attack, he said that Trump enjoyed less protection than an incumbent president: “He is not the incumbent president – if he were, we would have surrounded the entire golf course,” said Bradshaw.
In July, Trump was targeted by an assassin at a campaign event in Pennsylvania, who shot him slightly in the ear. A visitor to the open-air event was killed. The shooter was killed, but his motive remains unclear to this day. The incident led to criticism of the Secret Service, whose head subsequently resigned. Interim head Ronald Rowe has now explained that numerous measures taken since then have contributed to the officials in Florida reacting quickly.
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(DPA/chk)
