Suspect charged in apparent assassination attempt

Donald Trump was the target of an apparent assassination attempt on Sunday, a mere two months after the Republican presidential nominee was shot in the ear at a rally in Butler.

There were no bullets fired by the suspect in Sunday’s incident, thanks to what the Secret Service has labelled as a “hyper vigilant” agent who spotted a gun muzzle poking out from bushes at Trump’s Florida golf course.

The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, faced court today and was charged with federal gun crimes. He could potentially face more charges.

The FBI is investigating Routh’s social media accounts, which show a man with a strong focus on the war in Ukraine. The 58-year-old also has a criminal history dating back to the 1990s.

In his first public comments since the most recent incident, Trump described hearing “four or five shots” in a live event on X on Monday evening. “The Secret Service did a great job,” he said, blaming “political foes” for “rhetoric” that preceded the shooting.

There have been bi-partisan calls to better protect presidential candidates after this second disturbing incident in a matter of weeks. And there still 49 days until the presidential election.

Trump blames apparent assassination attempt on rhetoric of political foes

During his address on X, Trump also recalls the attack against his life in July in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“That was some crazy day, and yesterday you had another one with a different result, actually much better result,” Trump says.

“Perhaps it’s God wanting me to be president to save this country,” he says.

He blames the two incidents on “rhetoric” from his political foes, which he says have referred to him as a “danger to democracy”.

“Looks like they were both radical leftists,” he says of the suspected perpetrators of the two incidents, without providing evidence.

Trump notes that a “civilian” woman in the area was able to get a picture of the gunman’s number plate and provide it to authorities, who then tracked him down.

Trump describes hearing shots and being swept away by security

Trump, speaking in a live X Spaces event to promote cryptocurrency, is talking about the latest attempt on his life.

He says he was golfing on a “beautiful day” when he heard “probably four or five” shots ring out in the near-distance.

He was immediately evacuated by the Secret Service, which he praises for doing an “excellent job” by identifying and engaging the gunman after seeing a rifle barrel in the bushes, as well as by evacuating him from the golf course, saying that they “moved along pretty good” once danger was detected.

“I would have liked to sink that last putt, but we decided, let’s get out of here,” he adds, in his first comments since the attack at his Florida home.

Trump speaks on X day after apparent assassination attempt

Donald Trump is talking publicly for the first time about the apparent assassination attempt against him.

Stay with us as we bring you a summation of what he says.

News Source BBC News