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NEW TRUMP KILL BID
Donald Trump rushed to safety as Secret Service ‘fire at man with gun’ at his golf club in SECOND assassination attempt
Trump vowed 'I will never surrender' in his first post after the horror ordeal
DONALD Trump has survived a second assassination bid while playing golf.
The ex-US president, 78, was rushed to safety as Secret Service agents opened fire on a gunman brandishing an AK-47 in nearby bushes.
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The FBI confirmed they saved the Republican presidential candidate from an “assassination attempt” as he played golf at his National Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump — shot in the ear by a gunman in Pennsylvania on July 13 — vowed “I will never surrender".
The suspect, who was able to get within 400-500 yards of Trump and even attempted to flee the scene in an SUV has been named as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58.
He was arrested after Secret Service agents saw someone they suspected of aiming a weapon from nearby bushes.
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Martin County Sherriff William D. Snyder said Routh "was not displaying a lot of emotions" when police arrested him and was "relatively calm".
The registered Democrat - who is reported to have previously been arrested eight times and charged with more than 100 offences - has been taken into custody and is being quizzed over the incident.
Routh had posted on social media about his dislike of Republican presidential candidate Trump and support for President Joe Biden.
He had also expressed his support for Ukraine and even travelled to the war-torn country.
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An AK-47-style rifle, backpacks and a GoPro camera were found discarded by the golf club.
Trump was playing golf when Secret Service agents spotted a rifle poking out of bushes.
Donald Trump rally shooter Thomas Crooks also ‘considered DNC & RNC as targets’ before trying to assassinate ex-prez
The suspect was posted up outside the club at around the 5th and 6th hole - understood to be a more "vulnerable" area of the course as it is closest to the road.
The suspect was able to escape the scene in a black Nissan but a member of the public took a picture of the car’s number plate.
It allowed sheriff deputies in neighbouring Martin County to pull him over and arrest him.
The would-be assassin was in custody last night being quizzed over the incident at Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida.
His black car was also impounded.
Mr Trump was rushed to safety from the course but later said: “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE.
“Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me. Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again. May God bless you.”
He later returned to the course.
The White House said President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris were being kept informed on the 2pm incident on Sunday.
Biden said he was "relieved" Trump was "unharmed".
He said: "A suspect is in custody, and I commend the work of the Secret Service and their law enforcement partners for their vigilance and their efforts to keep the former president and those around him safe.
"As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country."
Biden added he had directed his team to make sure the Secret Service has "every resource, capability and protective measure necessary" to keep Trump safe.
Harris, who met Trump for the first time in person at a debate last Tuesday, said: “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.”
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that he had spoken to Mr Trump who, he said, was “in good spirits”.
He added: “He is more resolved than ever to save our country.”
The FBI, now in charge of the investigation, said that multiple teams, including bomb technicians, are involved in the probe.
The club is just five miles from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach.
He is often spotted golfing there when he is not on the campaign trail.
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Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung earlier said in a statement: “President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity. No further details at this time.”
Numerous police cars were seen along a Florida road, believed to be near the golf club.
A video was posted on X, formerly Twitter, by user @realDerekUtley, who wrote: "The roads to @realDonaldTrump golf club in West Palm are now closed with heavy police presence around the surrounding area after multiple gun shots were fired in his vicinity.
"The road closure is for several miles with law enforcement coordinating at any possible access point."
The Secret Service is now investigating the shooting and confirmed that Trump is safe.
In a statement, The White House said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been briefed on the security incident involving Trump and they are both “relieved to know that he is safe."
"They will be kept regularly updated by their team,” The White House added.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump Jr wrote on X: "Again folks! SHOTS FIRED at Trump Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida.
"An AK-47 was discovered in the bushes, per local law enforcement. The Trump campaign has released a statement confirming former President Trump is safe.
"A suspect has reportedly been apprehended."
It comes just nine weeks after Thomas Matthew Crooks shot Trump at a rally on July 13.
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Trump was left bloodied after a bullet pierced his ear at the open-air event in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was shot dead by Secret Service snipers shortly after opening fire.
While the former president survived the attack and is now safe, one supporter was killed and two others were critically injured.
The first shooting of a US president or major party presidential candidate in more than four decades was a glaring security lapse that forced Kimberly Cheatle to resign as Secret Service director under bipartisan congressional pressure.
Trump had been presenting a chart of border crossing numbers to the crowd when shots rang out.
Secret service agents rushed to the stage as footage from the event captured supporters screaming in panic.
The bangs continued as agents tended to Trump before the Republican presidential candidate got back up and pumped his fist.
Trump shouted "Fight! Fight!" before he was whisked to his motorcade to leave the venue.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump said: "I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.
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"I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots.
"I immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead."
What US presidents have been assassinated or almost killed?
THROUGHOUT U.S. history, four presidents have been assassinated while in office, and several others survived assassination attempts.
These tragic events have had profound effects on the nation and led to significant changes in how presidential security is handled.
The first U.S. president to be assassinated was Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president, on April 14, 1865. Just days after the Civil War ended, Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer, while attending a play at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Lincoln succumbed to his injuries the following day, leaving the country in shock during a pivotal time of reconstruction.
In 1881, James A. Garfield, the 20th president, was shot by Charles J. Guiteau, a disgruntled office seeker. Garfield was shot on July 2, 1881, at a train station in Washington, D.C., and suffered for months from infections caused by the wounds before dying on September 19, 1881. His death brought attention to the issues of medical care and political patronage.
The third assassination occurred in 1901, when William McKinley, the 25th president, was shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz during a public event at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. McKinley initially survived the shooting on September 6, 1901, but died from gangrene caused by his wounds on September 14. His death ushered in the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt and marked a turning point in how political violence was viewed.
The most recent assassination of a U.S. president occurred on November 22, 1963, when John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, was shot while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. Kennedy was killed by a sniper’s bullet, with Lee Harvey Oswald named as the official assassin. The event left a lasting impact on American society and continues to be the subject of much debate and conspiracy.
Several other U.S. presidents survived serious assassination attempts.
Andrew Jackson, the 7th president, faced the first recorded attempt in 1835, when Richard Lawrence tried to shoot him outside the U.S. Capitol. Remarkably, both of Lawrence’s pistols misfired, and Jackson defended himself with his cane.
In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt was shot while campaigning for a third term after his presidency. He survived because the bullet was slowed by his glasses case and a thick speech in his pocket, and he famously went on to finish his speech before seeking medical help.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, before taking office, narrowly avoided an attempt on his life in 1933. During a public event in Miami, Giuseppe Zangara fired at Roosevelt but missed, killing Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak instead.
Harry S. Truman faced a more organized attempt in 1950 when two Puerto Rican nationalists tried to storm Blair House, where he was staying. A gunfight ensued, but Truman was unharmed.
In 1975, Gerald Ford survived two assassination attempts within the same month. First, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson, attempted to shoot him in Sacramento, California, but her gun failed to fire. Just 17 days later, Sara Jane Moore fired a shot at Ford in San Francisco but missed.
Lastly, in 1981, Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr. outside a hotel in Washington, D.C. Reagan was seriously injured but recovered after surgery, and the incident led to heightened security measures for future presidents.