Former President Donald Trump is safe as police respond in West Palm Beach, Florida, following what appears to be the second assassination attempt on Mr Trump this year.
Trump, who survived being shot at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in mid-July, was playing golf at his golf course in West Palm Beach on Sunday when police said they encountered a man who appeared to be plotting to kill Trump.
Conflicting details and reports have circulated from official and unofficial sources, but President Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., said on social media that an AK-47 was smuggled into some bushes on the golf course.
It has also been reported that the man had also smuggled in a Go-Pro camera, presumably to film the attempt.
The Trump campaign said in a statement that Trump was safe after gunfire was heard nearby. It is unclear who fired the shots, and it is not clear at this time what the suspect's condition is, including whether he is dead or alive or in custody.
Law enforcement officials with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office will brief the media shortly, according to the U.S. Secret Service.
Follow Breitbart News for the latest news and analysis on this situation live.
Update 9:46 PM ET:
Separately, CNN reported this week that top aides to President Trump had been informed by intelligence agencies that US adversaries were targeting them.
Specifically, Iran appears to be at the center of an effort to target President Trump and those close to him that also appears unrelated to this incident, but is noteworthy given the heightened danger surrounding President Trump.
Update 9:40 p.m. ET:
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the state would conduct its own investigation separate from the federal investigation.
Update 9:38 PM ET:
UK Daily Mail Interviewed He's the son of an attempted assassin and has admitted that his father actually “hates” Donald Trump.
From the Daily Mail article:
He said his father disliked Trump “as any reasonable person would.”
“I don't like Trump either,” his son added.
But he said his father was not a violent man and he couldn't believe his father would target the president.
“He's my father and all I know is he's got a couple of traffic tickets,” his son said. “It's crazy. I know my dad and I love him and that's nothing like him.”
Update 9:36 PM ET:
President Joe Biden has finally spoken out.
Update: 8:25 p.m. ET:
Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita sent the letter to their entire campaign staff on Sunday evening, according to a campaign official who provided the text of the letter to Breitbart News.
Suzie and I wanted to give you a quick update on the incident that took place in West Palm Beach today.
Today, for the second time in two months, an evil monster attempted to take President Trump's life. Thankfully, no one was injured on the golf course. President Trump and all of his companions are safe thanks to the incredible work of the United States Secret Service.
This is not an issue we take lightly. Your safety is always our number one priority. Please remain vigilant on your daily journeys to and from work. Be observant and maintain a level of situational awareness at all times. We ask that you always follow the directions of law enforcement agencies, including the USSS, local police, and armed security personnel at our offices.
With 50 days left in President Trump's campaign, we must remember that only by working together as one team can we save America from those who seek to destroy it. President Trump and Senator Vance expect the best from us, and we must do our part every day.
As always, we thank you for your fortitude, strength and dedication.
We will win this November.
Chris and Suzie
Update: 8:15 p.m. ET:
The suspect gave multiple interviews to major media outlets, including The New York Times.
And a semaphore:
Update 7:47 PM ET:
Edward Snowden has suggested that there is likely more to this story than meets the eye.
Update 7:42 PM ET:
Earlier on CNN, Mark Caputo confirmed that the X account in question was, in fact, Routh's account.
It is worth noting that this year's Democratic presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, used the exact same language as the would-be assassin of President Trump.
“Democracy depends on voting,” said Harris. Facebook In early July, Routh X-Post this SpringHe stated this publicly and verbatim.
Update 7:37 PM ET:
In the aftermath of this second assassination attempt on President Trump, some very serious questions need to be answered. And how did the would-be assassins get this far in the process to target President Trump? While the first one may seem like a mistake, the second one seems more than just a coincidence. How did the would-be assassins get so close, find a weakness in the security plan around President Trump, and get so close twice in the space of two months? Is there more to it than meets the eye? People will want to get to the bottom of those questions immediately.
Update 7:32 PM ET:
To the surprise of no one, those in the establishment media continue to act recklessly.
Update 7:28 PM ET:
Donald Trump Jr. identified the attempted assassin's account on “X,” the platform formerly known as Twitter.
The account has several posts suggesting that Routh wanted to “get rid” of Trump or that he wanted to “get rid” of Trump.
It's worth noting that law enforcement has yet to identify this as the attempted assassin's social media account, but it's significant that Trump's eldest son said it was his, given that Trump Jr. was ahead of law enforcement in identifying the details of the AK-47, for example.
Update 7:25 PM ET:
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said on social media:
Update 6:36 PM ET:
No one expects Joe Biden to be in the mood on a Sunday afternoon, but the sitting “President of the United States” (if you can really call him that) remains silent about the second assassination attempt on President Trump.
However, the White House issued a statement saying that Biden and Vice President Harris (who replaced Biden on the shortlist after his poor performance in the debate with Trump) had been briefed on the matter today.
Update 6:22 PM ET:
NBC News reports that the suspect in custody is named Ryan Wesley Routh.
There are many rumors flying around about Routh's social media accounts etc. They are yet to be confirmed but we and other media are working hard to confirm them.
Update 5:49 PM ET:
The wife of anti-Trump “whistleblower” Alex Vindman (whose brother Eugene is running for House of Representatives in Virginia) posted on “X,” the platform formerly known as Twitter:
She has been severely criticized for this.
Update 5:44 PM ET:
Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Trump's running mate, said he had spoken with Trump before the news was made public and that he thought he was in “good spirits.”
Update 5:43 PM ET:
Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe (no Trump supporter) appeared on CNN and detailed how the suspect in custody appears to have had a detailed plan in place to put this together, which prosecutors and police will try to prove, and that Trump is not that far removed from a gunman with a scope and a rifle.
Update 5:41 PM ET:
CNN reports that the suspect's Go-Pro camera was “mounted” to a nearby fence where the suspect had a backpack and a scoped rifle.
Update 5:32 PM ET:
Despite the ongoing threats against President Trump's life, Democratic leaders like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries continue to stoke left-wing opposition to President Trump. After news broke that President Trump had survived the assassination attempt, Jeffries made the following shocking social media post:
Leading Republicans have blasted Jeffries for continuing to make infuriating rhetoric.
Update 5:29 PM ET:
Vice President Kamala Harris, this year's Democratic presidential candidate, said on social media that she had been briefed on the assassination attempt.
Update 5:20 PM ET:
A U.S. Secret Service official told a news conference that these are “dangerous times” and that the service has increased resources to protect Trump since the first assassination attempt on him less than two months ago.
Sheriff's officials added that there is no need for residents to panic and that the area is safe. But authorities urged residents to avoid the area around Trump's golf course for the time being. However, sheriff's officials said there are schools, a post office and other businesses nearby and that police would try to make it as easy as possible for local residents.
Update 5:16 PM ET:
The lead FBI agent in Miami said the FBI is currently leading the federal investigation. Federal charges are expected to be filed against the shooter, but state prosecutors also said at the press conference that in the meantime, warrants and pretrial detention motions will be filed against the suspect currently in custody.
Update 5:15 PM ET:
According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Secret Service agents engaged a man who was carrying a scoped AK-47-style rifle, a backpack and a Go-Pro. Agents apparently fired shots at the man, who then fled in a black Nissan. Witnesses saw the man flee and took photos of the vehicle and license plate, according to the sheriff's office. Police encountered and detained the man on I-95 in Martin County, Florida.
Apparently, when Trump was playing golf, Secret Service agents were one or two holes ahead of Trump to secure the area, thus allowing the US Secret Service to encounter the man before shooting Trump.
Update 5:11 PM ET:
A law enforcement press conference just concluded at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, revealing what was clearly a second assassination attempt on President Trump. More details about the press conference will be released shortly.
