How did the assassination attempt on Donald Trump happen? Questions swirl around: Live updates

An apparent botched assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course sparked an intense investigation Monday into how an armed threat was able to get within a few hundred yards of Trump again, two months after he was nearly killed at an event in Pennsylvania.

The Republican presidential candidate was at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach around 2 p.m. on Sunday when Secret Service agents walking the course ahead of him spotted a rifle muzzle in bushes. When they opened fire, the suspect dropped an AK-47-style assault rifle, two backpacks and a GoPro camera and fled, authorities said.

A witness took a photo of the suspect fleeing in a black Nissan, and he was arrested a short time later. Palm Beach County District Attorney David Aronberg identified the suspect as Ryan Routh, 58, who was due in court Monday morning.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said Routh was about 300 to 500 yards away from Trump and was within striking distance with his rifle and scope.

Trump thanked the Secret Service and local authorities for their efforts. It was the second assassination attempt in two months – Trump was injured in July when a gunman opened fire at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and a bullet grazed Trump’s ear.

Trump: “It was certainly an interesting day!”

The former president made his first public comment on the incident in a post on Truth Social at 11:36 p.m., thanking his supporters and praising the Secret Service and law enforcement.

“I want to thank everyone for their concern and well wishes – it has been a truly interesting day!” He added, “Most importantly, I want to thank the US Secret Service, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and his office of brave and dedicated patriots, and all law enforcement for the incredible job they did today at Trump International to keep me SAFE as the 45th President of the United States and Republican candidate in the upcoming Presidential election. THE JOB WAS ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT. I AM VERY PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!”

Sunday’s incident came as the political atmosphere becomes increasingly divided ahead of the November election. Earlier Sunday, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: “I hate Taylor Swift.” And his running mate, Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio), stuck to a controversial statement about immigrants, saying he “doesn’t regret” spreading false stories about Haitians that led to several threats against them in the city of Springfield, Ohio.

− David Jackson

What we know about Ryan Routh

Ryan Routh was arrested Sunday and is awaiting an appearance in federal court, Palm Beach County District Attorney David Aronberg told USA TODAY. He appears to be an ardent supporter of Ukraine fighting a Russian invasion and has a long history of business troubles and court filings.

Routh’s social media posts and media interviews paint a picture of an impulsive individual who said he was willing to risk his life for his ideals — and who made claims that sometimes tested credibility. In addition to being a construction worker and entrepreneur, Routh had told several major media outlets that he was working to recruit soldiers for foreign wars he believed in. A March 2023 New York Times article, which described Routh as a “former construction worker from Greensboro, N.C.”, said Routh was recruiting Afghan soldiers — who had fled the Taliban — to fight in Ukraine.

On a phone number linked to Routh, the owner of the voicemail was identified Sunday as “Ryan in Hawaii,” who works at the National Volunteer Center and sends soldiers to Ukraine and Taiwan. He asked callers to message him via WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram or Facebook. Calls made to him were not returned Sunday. Read more here.

− Rick Jervis and Will Carless

Routh was rejected by the Ukrainian military

Oleh Zhdanov, a Ukrainian military analyst, confirmed indications from Routh on social media that he had traveled to Ukraine in 2022. Roth “actually applied to our International Legion’s recruitment center based in Poland,” Zhdanov told USA TODAY. But the adventurer was turned away.

“He was rejected for two reasons,” Zhdanov said. “First, because of his age: he was 56 at the time, which is very old. And second, he lacks any military specialization.” Routh was offered a job supervising more suitable applicants for the Ukrainian military’s foreign volunteer unit. “He did that for a while in Kyiv and then left our country,” Zhdanov said.

– Dan Morrison

House Committee schedules hearing on recent assassination attempt

Republican Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania and Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, chairman and ranking member of the task force investigating the July assassination attempt on Trump, said in a joint statement that they had asked the Secret Service for a briefing “on what happened and the response of security forces” to Sunday’s incident.

“We are grateful that the former president was not harmed, but remain deeply concerned about political violence and condemn it in all its forms,” ​​they said. “The task force will keep us updated as we learn more.”

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said on X that he and his wife spent several hours with Trump at Mar-a-Lago after the alleged assassination attempt. “No leader in American history has endured more attacks and remained so strong and resilient,” he said. “He is unstoppable.” Read more here.

− Riley Beggin

Ukrainian Selenskyj sends best wishes to Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned political violence and sent his best wishes to Trump following a second assassination attempt on the former president. Zelensky’s comments come after Routh was identified as an open supporter of Ukraine in its war with Russia.

In a post on the social media site X early Monday, Zelensky said: “I am glad (Donald Trump) is safe and unharmed. My best wishes to him and his family.” Read more here.

− Eric Lagatta

How did the assassination come about?

When asked by reporters how this incident could have happened given the previous assassination attempt on Trump, Bradshaw described the golf course as “surrounded by bushes” and with a limited perimeter.

“If someone goes into the bushes, they are practically out of sight,” he said.

Since Trump is not a sitting president, Bradshaw said, “security is limited to the areas the Secret Service believes are possible,” but that will likely change in the future.

“I would imagine that the next time he comes to a golf course, there will probably be a little more people on the premises, but the Secret Service did exactly what they should have done,” Bradshaw said. “They provided exactly the protection that they should have, and their agent did a fantastic job.”

– Philip Bailey

Secret service challenged by outdoor events

The Secret Service stepped up its presence near Trump on Sunday as he played golf and foiled the alleged assassination attempt after an agent spotted a rifle in the bushes ahead of him. Experts said agents in West Palm Beach appeared to have handled the situation correctly two months after the Secret Service came under heavy criticism following an assassination attempt at a July rally when a gunman with an AR-style rifle shot the Republican candidate from about 150 yards away.

But the recent incident at one of Trump’s Florida golf clubs underscores the difficulty of protecting a presidential candidate who enjoys public appearances — which includes playing golf and holding outdoor rallies, these experts told USA TODAY. Read more here.

Biden praises Secret Service

President Joe Biden said after Sunday’s incident that there was “no place for political violence” and vowed to ensure the Secret Service had “every resource” for Trump’s security. Biden said in a written statement Sunday evening that his team had briefed him on what the FBI is investigating as an apparent assassination attempt against Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee.

Biden praised the work of the Secret Service and its law enforcement partners “for their vigilance and efforts to protect the former president and those around him.”

“I am relieved that the former president is unharmed,” Biden said. “The incident is currently under investigation as law enforcement gathers more details about what happened. As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or violence of any kind in our country.”

First murder attempt ended with the death of the shooter

The first attempt on Trump’s life occurred on July 13. A lone gunman identified as Thomas Crooks, 18, opened fire on a well-attended rally in western Pennsylvania. A bullet grazed Trump’s ear and he was dragged from the stage by U.S. Secret Service agents after at least six shots were fired. One audience member was killed and two others were seriously injured. Crooks, who was crouched on the roof of an adjacent warehouse, was killed by a Secret Service sniper who returned fire.

The incident sparked a storm of criticism and questions, including how Crooks managed to get within 450 feet of Trump despite Secret Service protection. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned ten days after the shooting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Live updates on Trump assassination attempt: Suspect under investigation