Donald Trump golf course gunman 'lurked for nearly 12 hours in bushes' as bodycam footage shows suspect's arrest

The would-be shooter of Donald Trump hid in the bushes by his Florida golf course for almost 12 hours before the assassination bid, it has been revealed.

According to mobile phone records, the gunman was lurking on the public side of a fence at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach since 1.59am local time on Sunday morning.

But he was only rumbled when security authorities spotted a firearm poking out of shrubbery around 400 to 500 yards from where Trump was playing, who engaged him.

The suspect, named as Ryan Routh, 58, fled the scene leaving behind rucksacks and a GoPro camera at the scene, before apprehended by police in his car.

aw enforcement officers arrest Ryan Routh, the man suspected in the apparent assassination attempt of Donald Trump (AP)

It is not clear if he knew that Trump would be playing golf at the course on Sunday.

Police on Monday released bodycam footage of authorities arresting Routh after attempting to flee the scene in his car.

He appeared in court the same day charged with federal gun crimes.

He is accused of possessing a firearm despite being a convicted felon and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

However, he is likely to face more charges as the investigation goes on.

The suspect was the subject of a 2019 tip to the FBI alleging that he was a convicted felon who illegally possessed a firearm, Jeffrey Veltri, the agent in charge of the FBI's Miami field office, also told reporters.

Suspected Trump attacker Ryan Routh (via REUTERS)

The complainant was unable to verify the information when the FBI investigated the tip, Mr Veltri said.

It came as Donald Trump spoke publicly for the first time about the attempt on his life, calling it a "much better result" than when he was shot in July.

The 45th US president attended the online event to launch World Liberty Financial, a crypto platform controlled by his sons Donald Jr and Eric.

Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, Trump commended the Secret Service for doing an "excellent job".

“That was some crazy day, and yesterday you had another one with a different result, actually a much better result," he said.

Trump also told audience members about his conversation with President Joe Biden, with whom he spoke on Monday in the wake of another apparent assassination attempt.

"He was very nice, that he called up to make sure that I was OK," he said.

He added that Mr Biden had sought his input on whether "we need more people on my detail".