As headlines spread quickly that former President Trump had likely been the target of a second assassination attempt, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries posted a message to X, calling on his supporters to “stop” the “radical MAGA Republicans.”
“Radical MAGA Republicans are the party that promotes nationwide abortion bans and Trump's Project 2025,” Jeffries (Dynamo, NY) posted on X at 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
“We need to stop them.”
The statement was posted well after news broke that President Trump was safe following what authorities described as an assassination attempt on him.
Trump assassin suspect laughs and smiles at first court appearance in Florida
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks during a press conference on the House Republicans' impeachment inquiry into President Biden on September 12, 2023, at the U.S. Capitol. (Drew Ungerer/Getty Images)
Authorities in West Palm Beach, Florida, received a report of shots fired at Trump International Golf Club around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, and the Trump campaign released a statement just after 2 p.m. saying the 45th president “heard gunfire nearby but was safe.”
About two hours after posting about stopping “radical MAGA Republicans,” Jeffries posted at 5:33 p.m. that “political violence has no place in a democratic society” and condemned the attacks on Trump.
Appearing on Fox Digital on Monday morning, President Trump blamed the attempt on his life on the actions and words of Democrats, specifically President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“[The suspect] “I believed what Biden and Harris said and I acted on it,” Trump said in the interview. “I'm being shot at for what they're saying, but I'm in a position to save our country. They're destroying our country from the inside out.”
Former President Trump participated in a Fox News town hall with Sean Hannity on September 4, 2024 at New Holland Arena in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“It's called the enemy from within. They are the real threat,” Trump added.
Witnesses saw Trump assassin suspect fleeing bushes, took photos of getaway car
Trump also said last week's ABC News debate was “very lopsided and out of control,” and cited Harris' claims that Trump supports Project 2025 and a nationwide abortion ban. Jeffries also referenced Project 2025 and the purported plan for a nationwide abortion ban in a post on X on Sunday.
“Harris is the one who lied about Project 2025, she lied about abortion, she lied about everything,” Trump said. “She was correcting me.”
Screenshot: Fox News simulcast of the ABC News presidential debate (Screenshot: Fox News simulcast of the ABC News presidential debate)
Project 2025 was created by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, and Trump repeatedly said during his campaign that he was not involved in the creation of the plan, which is seen as a blueprint for a future Republican administration. Trump has also repeatedly said he would not pass a nationwide abortion ban if re-elected, stressing that the issue should be left to individual states.
Authorities identified the suspect arrested at the golf club on Sunday as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, who frequently posts about President Trump and politics on social media, Fox Digital reported.
According to a background check conducted by Fox Digital, Routh has lived most of his life in North Carolina and currently lives in Hawaii, where he worked in construction, including as the owner of a company called United Roofing.
The suspect's social media accounts were found to have repeatedly posted about Trump, the war in Ukraine, the 2020 election and other world events as of Sunday afternoon.
Trump blames Biden-Harris 'comments' for latest assassination attempt, says they'll 'save the country'
The account also mentioned the attempted assassination of President Trump in July, Vice President Kamala Harris He said he won't visit people injured at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania because “Trump won't do anything for them.”
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris wave onstage during the Congressional Black Caucus' Phoenix Awards Dinner, Saturday, September 14, 2024, in Washington, DC. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
“You and Biden should visit the people in the hospital injured at Trump's rallies and attend the funerals of the firefighters killed. Trump will do nothing for them….Show the world what compassion and humanity are,” he said in a response message to Harris' account on July 17.
In another X post from April 22, Rouse appeared to quote a phrase often used by the Harris campaign, declaring, “Democracy is on the ballot and we cannot lose.”
“Your campaign should be named something like KADAF. Make America a democratic and free country. Trump should be MASA… Make Americans slave masters again. Democracy is on the ballot and we cannot lose. We cannot fail. The world is counting on us to show the way,” the account posted in July, before Biden dropped out of the race and Harris emerged as the top Democratic candidate.
In an interview with Fox Digital, Trump cited Democrats describing him as a “threat to democracy” as a motive for his attacks in recent weeks. He argued that Democrats like Biden and Harris have called him a “threat to democracy” while they portray themselves as leaders of “unity.”
Armed man arrested at Trump golf course, Ryan Routh, frequently posts about Trump and politics
“They are the exact opposite,” Trump said. “They are people who want to destroy our country.”
The X account believed to belong to Routh also repeatedly sent messages related to the war in Ukraine, posting on X that he was ready to fly to Ukraine to fight Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I am flying to Ukraine to fight. We need to start a media campaign urging all people around the world to come to Ukraine and join the fight. We need hundreds of thousands of civilians to make the cost of war high for Putin and the influx of fighters,” he posted on February 17, 2022.
Ryan Routh, the suspect in the attempted assassination of former President Trump, was taken into custody on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, according to body camera footage released on Monday. (Martin County Sheriff's Office)
He posted in April that he was in Kyiv after repeatedly sending messages expressing his willingness to fight for Ukraine.
“I'm in Kyiv and want to use Independence Park to create a tent city for all the foreigners here so that thousands more foreign civilians can come and support Ukraine,” the account posted.
Routh has a lengthy criminal history spanning decades, most notably in North Carolina where he was arrested dozens of times for motor vehicle violations, including driving without insurance, driving without a license and driving with an expired registration.
Donald Trump safe after shooting outside Palm Beach golf club
In 2002, Routh made local headlines when he was arrested after a three-hour standoff with police at the offices of his roofing company, The Greensboro News & Record reported at the time. Police stopped me. He grabbed a gun after being pulled over for a traffic violation, which prompted him to drive to United Roofing and barricade himself inside. He was eventually arrested without incident.
A courtroom sketch shows Ryan Rouse in federal court on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Lothar Speer)
Authorities said Routh was arrested Sunday afternoon after he allegedly pointed a rifle through a chain-link fence toward where Trump was playing golf.
Routh fled the scene in a vehicle but was arrested on Interstate 95.
He appeared in federal court Monday morning in handcuffs and a white coat, and was seen laughing and smiling ahead of his first court appearance.
Ryan Routh is accused of pointing a rifle at former President Trump while he was playing golf at a golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday. (Source: Fox News Digital)
He has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and authorities said he could face additional charges.
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Routh is scheduled to be arraigned on Sept. 30.
Shortly after the attack, Trump reassured his supporters that he was “safe and well” and vowed to “never surrender”.
“Gunshots were heard near me, but before the rumors get out of control, I want you to hear this first: I am safe and well!,” he posted in a campaign message. “Nothing can stop me. I will never surrender.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Jeffries' office about his X post and Trump's comments blaming Democrats for Sunday's attacks, but did not immediately receive a response.
