The FBI has confirmed that former President Donald Trump was the target of an attempted assassination at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. This incident occurred just nine weeks after another attempt on his life during a rally in Pennsylvania where he was shot and grazed by a bullet.
On Sunday, U.S. Secret Service agents opened fire after spotting an individual with a firearm near Trump's golf club while he was golfing. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the suspect fled in an SUV but was later apprehended by local law enforcement. The suspect has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh.
Routh was filmed by the Associated Press in Kyiv in April 2022 participating in a demonstration at Independence Square. He was seen holding a placard denouncing corruption and evil, wearing American flag attire, and paying tribute to foreign citizens killed in the war.
Despite his involvement in international affairs, Routh has never served in the Ukrainian army or collaborated with the military. Ukrainian officials described his ideas as delusional and denied any connection to him.
In response to the incident, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed relief that Trump was unharmed and emphasized the importance of the rule of law and condemning political violence.
The Trump campaign praised the Secret Service for their swift action in keeping the former president safe. Campaign leaders reiterated their commitment to ensuring the safety of staff and urged vigilance and situational awareness.
A bipartisan task force in Congress, which has been investigating the previous assassination attempt on Trump, requested a briefing from the Secret Service regarding the Florida incident. The task force condemned political violence and expressed ongoing concern.
It remains unclear how this incident will impact Trump's campaign schedule. Despite the event, Trump was scheduled to speak about cryptocurrency and participate in events in Michigan and New York in the coming days.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the motive behind the attempted assassination and are working to gather more information about the suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh.
