The US Secret Service opened fire at a man holding an AK-47 outside Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s Florida golf club at 1:30 PM on Sunday, in what “appears to be an attempted assassination,” the second attempt on Trump’s life since July 13.
Secret Service agents detected an individual hiding in bushes near a golf course where Trump was present. The agents discharged their weapons, prompting the suspect to flee by car. Law enforcement later apprehended the person during a traffic stop. At the scene, authorities recovered a scoped AK-47 rifle, a camera, and two backpacks from the concealed position. The Secret Service has not confirmed whether the suspect fired any shots.
Thomas Gibbons-Neff, a journalist for The New York Times, previously interviewed Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, for an article exploring the phenomenon of foreign fighters and volunteers in Ukraine. The report highlighted individuals who, despite lacking proper qualifications for combat roles, were actively engaged in frontline battles against Russian forces. These fighters had access to weapons and military equipment, raising concerns about their preparedness and the potential risks involved in their participation in the conflict.
Twitter users noted that Routh appeared in a recruitment video for the Azov 12th Special Operations Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine:
BREAKING: Trump shooter appeared in a propaganda video for AZOV in May 2022 pic.twitter.com/jwl5t7BI4s
— Chief Trumpster (@ChiefTrumpster) September 16, 2024
One user said Facebook was deleting Routh’s online presence:
Social media companies like Meta/Facebook are working quickly to delete the pages of Trump assassin Ryan Wesley Routh.
Thanks to @realjakejacks, who managed to archive his entire Facebook page, we have a record of it.
The page contained posts about recruiting mercenaries for… pic.twitter.com/GiUXowBBko
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) September 15, 2024
According to the NY Post, Routh voiced “strong support for Ukraine in its war against Russia” and promoted “the idea of having former Afghanistan troopers fight for Ukraine in Russia.” He said that he had visited Kiev and “claimed that he would be willing to fight on the front lines if he were permitted to.”
On Sunday evening, the White House released a statement from Vice President Kamala Harris expressing being “deeply disturbed” by the assassination attempt. The Vice President explicitly condemned “political violence” in her remarks. Additionally, she reiterated President Biden’s commitment to providing the Secret Service with all necessary resources to fulfill its protective duties effectively.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tweeted: “The State of Florida will be conducting its own investigation regarding the attempted assassination at Trump International Golf Club. 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.
Elon Musk pointed out that while Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has reportedly been the target of two assassination attempts, there have been no publicly known similar incidents involving either President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris. “And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala,” he tweeted.
Candidate Trump tweeted after the incident: “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!”
