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Donald Trump has broken his silence over what federal authorities are investigating as a second assassination attempt on his life in just two months.
In a Truth Social post late on Sunday night, the Republican presidential candidate described the foiled shooting at his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, as an “interesting day” and heaped praise on the Secret Service and law enforcement agencies for an “incredible job” in protecting him.
“I would like to thank everyone for your concern and well wishes - It was certainly an interesting day!” he said.
“Most importantly, I want to thank the U.S. Secret Service, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and his Office of brave and dedicated Patriots, and, all of Law Enforcement, for the incredible job done today at Trump International in keeping me, as the 45th President of the United States, and the Republican Nominee in the upcoming Presidential Election, SAFE.”
He finished: “THE JOB DONE WAS ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING. I AM VERY PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!”
While this marked his first direct public comments, Trump earlier wasted no time in fundraising off the back of the alleged attack.
Trump continued: “Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me.”
The incident unfolded on Sunday afternoon when the former president was playing a round of golf at his club in Florida.
A Secret Service agent had spotted the muzzle of a rifle sticking through a fence while the business mogul was just 300 to 500 yards away and opened fire on the suspect, according to authorities.
The suspect, who has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, allegedly fled the scene but was detained on the I-95 after deputies “flooded” the interstate, according to Martin County Sheriff William Snyder.
An AK-47 assault-style rifle fitted with a scope, two backpacks, and a GoPro camera were recovered from the location where the suspect had been positioned along the fence, law enforcement officials said at a press conference.
Routh, whose address is currently registered in Hawaii, has a criminal record dating back to at least 2002 when he was convicted in Guilford County, North Carolina, on one felony count of possession of a weapon of mass destruction, according to a review of state court records.
The charge was over a fully automatic machine gun, according to News & Record.
He was also convicted of possession of stolen goods in 2010, and has been vocal in his support for Ukraine, telling The New York Times last year that he went to Ukraine after the Russian invasion and aimed to get soldiers from Afghanistan who fled the Taliban to fight in the war.
He owns United Roofing, a Greensboro, North Carolina contracting company. One of his former employees, Tina Cooper, 58, told The Independent on Sunday that she remembered her former boss as someone widely derided over his penchant for doing “stupid s***.”
Sunday’s incident marks the second alleged attempt on Trump’s life in just over two months, after a 20-year-old gunman armed with an AR-15 targeted him at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
The would-be assassin, Thomas Crooks, was shot dead by a police sniper after he fired multiple rounds on July 13, killing 50-year old retired fire chief Corey Comperatore, and wounding Trump’s right ear.
Following the first assassination attempt, Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, have taken to addressing rallies from behind a bulletproof screen, and the security bubble around the former president has been reinforced in recent weeks.
