US President Donald Trump has reacted to the attempted intrusion at Mar-a-Lago resort on Sunday, suggesting that he faced ongoing threats because of his prominence. Speaking at an Angel Families event at the White House on Monday, he said he was unsure about his personal safety and longevity in office, framing it as a consequence of being a “consequential” leader.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be around,” he told the audience. “Got a lot of people gunning for me.”
Referring to assassinated former US presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, Trump said such attacks tend to target leaders who leave a mark. “You read about all these crazy shooters, but they only go after consequential presidents. They don’t go after non-consequential presidents", the New York Post reported.
“They were consequential,” he added, before quipping, “They only go after consequential. So maybe I want to be a little bit less consequential.”
According to the New York Post, the intruder was identified as Austin Tucker Martin, 21, of Cameron, North Carolina. He allegedly entered the grounds of the Palm Beach estate around 1.30 am on Sunday carrying a rifle and a gas can.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the suspect was confronted by the United States Secret Service and “ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with them.” Bradshaw added, “At which time he put down the gas can, and raised the shotgun to a shooting position.” Agents then opened fire and “neutralized the threat.”
US President Donald Trump was not present at his Mar-a-Lago residence at the time of the incident. He had hosted a dinner for governors at the White House on Saturday evening along with First Lady Melania Trump.
The latest episode of security intrusion adds to a string of security threats involving US President Donald Trump surviving an assassination attempt during the 2024 election cycle. In July 2024, a gunman opened fire at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing his ear and killing one attendee before being shot by a Secret Service counter-sniper.
In another case near his golf club in West Palm Beach, a suspect identified as Ryan Routh was intercepted before allegedly carrying out an attack and was later sentenced to life imprisonment.
