The former Republican president Donald Trump Trump is safe after escaping another assassination attempt. Campaign sources said the incident occurred while the conservative leader was playing his usual morning round of golf at the Trump National Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. A few hours after the new assassination attempt, the US presidential candidate announced that he was safe and sound via an email intended to raise money for his campaign.
“There were shots fired near me, but before the rumors start to get out of hand, I want you to hear this first: I am safe and fine! Nothing will stop me. I will never give up! I will always love you for standing by me,” Trump wrote. At the time of the attack, the former president was playing between holes five and six of his golf course, with Steve Witkoff, one of the most important donors to his campaign. “The suspect who fired the shots was several holes ahead of Trump,” according to two police sources cited by CNN. Moments after the explosions, “the Secret Service shot the man as a protective measure,” according to the same source, which did not clarify whether he was shot or not.
This newspaper was in the vicinity of the Mar-a-Lago residential complex and the golf club where the events took place. The robust police protection, with more than twenty vehicles stationed in the vicinity, as well as two surveillance towers that stand out from the property of Donald Trumpgave the impression of entering an impregnable fortress. However, this new incident shows that the actions of an alleged lone wolf are difficult to predict and, at times, inevitable. Meanwhile, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office reported the arrest of a suspect who “is believed to be related to the events,” according to a post on its Facebook page.
The individual, who has not yet been identified although police are expected to know his identity, was arrested “inside a vehicle.” County law enforcement also closed the section of Interstate 95 near State Route 714, which connects to Martin County, to further investigate the incident. “We will update this information as it becomes available,” the post continued.
For its part, the United States Secret Service, which is responsible for the protection of the former president, initially assured that “the incident occurred around 2 pm and that Trump was not the target and that he was immediately taken to a safe room for his protection,” according to the spokesman for the Secret Service, Anthony Guglielmi. However, hours later the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed on Sunday that the incident next to the golf course where former US President Donald Trump was playing is being investigated as an apparent “assassination attempt.” “The FBI has responded to West Palm Beach, Florida, and is investigating what appears to be an assassination attempt on former President Trump,” it said in a statement.
According to US media such as CNN, the person arrested near the golf course was carrying a long weapon, an AK47 rifle, and intended to attack the Republican candidate. Although there is no official confirmation, the media claim that the Secret Service shot the suspect after seeing that he was armed. Prior to this statement, a police official speaking on condition of anonymity said that the Secret Service was investigating the possibility that the shots were intended to assassinate Donald Trump.
Both Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and US President Joe Biden were immediately informed of the new attack against the Republican leader. “The President and Vice President have been briefed on the security incident at the Trump International Golf Course, where former President Trump was playing golf. They are both relieved to know that he is safe. His team will keep them informed regularly,” according to a statement from the White House. For her part, Harris reiterated on her social networks that “violence has no place in the United States.”
Also, the Republican senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Grahamone of Trump’s biggest allies, posted on her social media that “I just spoke to President Trump. He is one of the strongest people I have ever met. He is in good spirits and is more determined than ever to save our country,” she wrote on the X platform.
For his part, the Republican representative from Florida, Michael Waltzone of the members of the bipartisan congressional task force made up of six Democrats and seven Republicans aimed at investigating the attempted assassination of Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, demanded that the Secret Service brief Congress this week after this new security incident. “As I have said before, the July 13 assassination attempt was not an isolated incident that we can calmly investigate, as domestic and foreign threats continue. As a member of the Assassination Task Force, I expect the Secret Service to brief us this week,” he wrote on X This second attempt to assassinate Trump represents a new twist in a campaign that seems to be in turmoil.
