Family members and politicians from both sides of the political spectrum reacted with shock as details emerged of an alleged attempted assassination of Donald Trump at his Florida golf course.
Secret Service agents opened fire during the incident after spotting a man hiding in bushes with an AK-47 rifle a few hundred yards away from Trump while he was playing golf. The agents then opened fire, causing the man to flee. A suspect was later arrested and a gun, a scope and a GoPro camera were recovered.
Trump was previously slightly injured after a gunman opened fire on him at a rally in Pennsylvania two months ago. But amid widespread fears of civil unrest amid America’s bitter election, the reaction across the political spectrum to a second potential attack was immediate.
The White House said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had been briefed on the incident. “They are relieved that he is safe. They are being updated regularly by their teams,” the statement said.
Harris said in her own statement about X: “I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.”
Trump’s family also responded.
“My father is running out of lives here,” son Eric Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “How many more guns are going to come within killing range of my father?”
In an email to his supporters, Trump said: “There were gunshots in my area, but before the rumors get out of hand, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!”
“Nothing will stop me. I will NEVER SURRENDER!” the former president said.
In a message from X, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of Trump’s key allies in Congress, said he had spoken to Trump after the incident and that Trump was in “great spirits” and “one of the strongest people I’ve ever known.”
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office reported that a suspect “believed to be involved in a shooting incident at Trump International in Palm Beach County” was arrested after fleeing the scene.
“President Trump is safe following gunfire in his area,” Steven Cheung, Trump’s campaign communications director, said in a statement. Cheung did not provide further details.
Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the suspect appeared “calm” when he was arrested by police after fleeing the scene. He was confronted by the Secret Service after he was spotted with a gun and shot, Bradshaw said.
“The Secret Service, in coordination with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, is investigating a protective incident involving former President Donald Trump that occurred shortly before 2:00 p.m. The former President is safe. @pbso will have more details soon,” read a post on X, formerly Twitter, by Anthony Guglielmi, director of communications for the Secret Service.
The latest incident came less than two months after Trump survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, at a political rally. One attendee at the rally was killed and law enforcement returned fire, killing the suspected attacker. No clear political motive for the attack has been identified. Trump was hit in the ear by a bullet, and an image of the bloodied president pumping a fist in the air after the shooting has been widely circulated by his supporters.
An internal Secret Service investigation has revealed that multiple, serious communications failures preceded the attempted assassination of Donald Trump on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania.
On Saturday, the Washington Post reported, citing anonymous officials, that the former president’s security detail failed to direct local police to secure the roof of the building used by the shooter.
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