THE STORY
The FBI said Donald Trump was the target of an apparent assassination attempt at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday. A suspect is in custody after shots were fired and a backpack was recovered.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the U.S. Secret Service agents fired at a man pointing an AK-style rifle with a scope as Trump was on the golf course. The FBI later said in a statement that the incident is being investigated as “what appears to be an attempted assassination”.
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement the former president was unharmed and is safe.
Bradshaw said the gunman was 300 to 500 yards away from Trump when he was spotted by Secret Service. Trump left the golf course in his motorcade a couple of hours after the incident and headed back to his Mar-a-Lago resort, a source familiar with the matter said.
The White House said in a statement, “The President and Vice President have been briefed about the security incident at the Trump International Golf Course, where former President Trump was golfing. They are relieved to know that he is safe. They will be kept regularly updated by their team.”
GOING IN DEPTH
The incident comes just two months after Trump was shot during an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania, and a bullet grazed his ear. CNN reported the man was trying to target Trump at his Florida golf course.
“Nothing will slow me down,” the former president said in an email to supporters. “I will NEVER SURRENDER!”
The golf course was partially shut down for Trump as he played, and agents were a few holes ahead of him when they noticed the person with the firearm, Bradshaw said.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham posted to X, formerly Twitter, that he had spoken to the former president and that he was “in good spirits and he is more resolved than ever to save our country.”
