The FBI is investigating an apparent assassination on former President Donald Trump while he was playing golf at his golf course in Florida on Sept. 15. The incident occurred two months after the former president survived another attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The suspect, armed with an SKS-style rifle, has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii. He appeared in a Florida court on Sept. 16. Prosecutors have charged him with two federal gun crimes: possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Trump is safe and has thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement for protecting him.
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Trump Slated to Meet With Indian Prime Minister
Trump says he’s meeting next week with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Modi is scheduled to be in the United States next week for the Quad Summit in Delaware in addition to events in New York, according to Indian media reports. There was no meeting with Trump previously reported.
Trump referenced his meeting with Modi for the first time while speaking at an unrelated event in Michigan.
Indian officials did not immediately confirm the meeting when asked.
Trump Says He Is Getting More Secret Service Protection
Trump said on Tuesday that he will get more protection from the Secret Service after two failed assassination attempts on him.
Trump Says He Received ‘a Very Nice Call’ From Harris
Trump said at a town hall in Flint, Michigan on Tuesday that being president is a “dangerous business” alluding to the assassination attempt at his West Palm Beach golf course.
A man suspected of hiding for nearly 12 hours in an apparent attempt to assassinate Trump at his West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course was charged in federal court with two gun-related crimes on Monday, a day after authorities say he was spotted in the bushes with a rifle as the former president played nearby.
Trump also said he received “a very nice call” from Harris. “It was very, very nice. And we appreciate that,” added Trump.
Heavy Security Presence as Trump Takes Stage at Town Hall in Michigan
There was a heavy security presence around the Dort Financial Center in Flint, where thousands of people gathered for Trump’s 7 p.m. town hall.
Police closed the roads immediately adjacent to the venue. A law enforcement drone hovered over the building to monitor the crowd. And teams of TSA agents and Secret Service ushered the crowd through metal detectors and checked bags before they were allowed inside.
There was an electric atmosphere inside the standing-room-only sports arena where thousands of Trump supporters greeted the former president with a deafening roar when he took the stage.
The overflowing crowd interrupted Trump’s discussion with Sanders with chants of “God bless Trump!” And “Fight, Fight, Fight” at various times.
“A lot of love in this room,” Trump remarked.
One audience member, Dan Curry, 44, of Saginaw, Michigan, said that Sunday’s second assassination attempt had a significant impact on the election.
“It energizes his base. How could it not? They’re trying to kill our guy,” he said.
Trump Meets With Martin County Sheriff’s Deputies Who Arrested Routh
Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday met with Martin County Sheriff’s deputies involved in the arrest of Ryan Wesley Routh and expressed his gratitude for their work.
The officers identified Routh’s black Nissan on the I-19 and took him into custody less than 50 minutes after Routh fled the scene at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach.
In a video posted on X, Trump shakes the hands of the deputies gathered in a room at Mar-a-Lago, and praises their work.
White House Responds to Trump’s Comments on Rhetoric
The White House on Tuesday afternoon responded to former president Donald Trump’s recent comments on Fox News Digital. Trump, in an interview on Monday, blamed President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris’s “rhetoric” for the latest apparent assassination attempt.
“The president and the vice president have always forcefully, forcefully condemned violence in all forms, including political violence,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing.
“And we certainly have never encouraged any violence in any way.”
Jean-Pierre referred to the president’s address to the nation from the Oval Office in July, following the first assassination attempt against the former president during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
She said the president urged Americans to “bring the temperature down.”
“You heard that directly from this president, and it is not the time to tear Americans apart,” she said.
Jean-Pierre also stated that the president has no intention of softening his rhetoric regarding Trump.
“The president has always been very clear-eyed about this, about the threat the former president represents to our democracy,” she said.
FBI Agents Spotted at Routh’s Hawaii home
FBI agents were at the Kaaawa, Hawaii, home of Ryan Routh on Tuesday morning. FBI Honolulu office spokeswoman Sarah Rice said they were carrying out “court-authorized law enforcement activity.“
She said the court documents authorizing the activity were sealed.
Sen. Scott Calls for More Resources for Trump’s Security Detail
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) joined multiple Republican senators in calling for additional resources for Trump’s security detail after an apparent second assassination attempt against the former president in West Palm Beach on Sunday.
In the letter, Scott and seven other Republicans are requesting that acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe give Trump the same level of protection as a sitting president. Scott criticized the Secret Service in a statement, saying the agency “has failed to address the security failures” after an attempt on Trump’s life at a Pennsylvania rally in July.
Harris Stops by Voter Registration Training at Philadelphia Community College
After the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) interview on Tuesday, Harris dropped in on a voter registration training for students that her campaign hosted at the Community College of Philadelphia.
She thanked the student leaders for helping her campaign and acknowledged that they could be spending their time on other things.
“Don’t put aside your studies. Shower from time to time. Eat vegetables,” the vice president said.
Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day and Harris’ campaign has launched a week of events to encourage students and young people to sign up to vote.
Harris Says She Feels Safe, Has Confidence in US Secret Service
The vice president said Tuesday she has confidence in the U.S. Secret Service after another apparent attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Harris said she feels safe, but she understands that not everyone does amid violent rhetoric about immigrants and others.
“Yes, I feel safe. I have Secret Service protection, but that doesn’t change my perspective on the importance of fighting for the safety of everybody in our country,” she said.
Harris Reiterates ‘There’s No Place for Political Violence in Our Country’
Harris said she has spoken with Trump after an apparent attempt to assassinate him at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday.
Harris said she checked in on Trump “to see if he’s OK.”
“I told him what I have said publicly, there’s no place for political violence in our country.”
Federal prosecutors say a man waited roughly 12 hours outside his golf course and then stuck the barrel of a gun toward the golf course. The U.S. Secret Service fired on the man who fled and was later arrested. Trump was unharmed.
Harris Speaks with Trump
The White House said that Vice President Kamala Harris reached out to former President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
“Vice President Harris called former President Trump this afternoon to speak with him directly to express that she is grateful he is safe,” a White House official said.
“It was a cordial and brief conversation.”
Soon after Sunday’s incident, Harris issued a statement condemning the apparent second assassination attempt on the former president.
Harris Says Racial Justice Work Must Be Addressed But Sidesteps Reparations Question
Harris stressed she supported acknowledging history and working to address victims of racist policies like redlining but declined to embrace efforts by some congressional Democrats for reparations.
“I think Congress will have the ability to do this work,” Harris said. She didn’t endorse any potential executive order on reparations and did not say the word “reparations.”
Harris Says Israel–Hamas War Must End
While speaking during her NABJ appearance in Philadelphia, Harris said the latest Israel-Hamas war has to end and a ceasefire and hostage deal must get done. She added that far too many “innocent Palestinians have been killed.”
Harris said she believes a two-state solution is the best solution, even if it doesn’t seem feasible right now. She said the goal is to ensure “the Israelis have security and Palestinians in equal measure have security, have self-determination and dignity.”
When asked whether she’d change policy in the region, she stressed the ceasefire must be done.
Harris Says She Needs to ‘Earn’ the Vote of Black Men
Harris said it’s important “not to operate from the assumption that black men are in anybody’s pocket.” She said, like any voting bloc, she needs to “earn their vote.”
She added that she was “working to earn the vote, not assuming I’m going to have it because I’m black.”
Harris Sits Down with Panel of Reporters Hosted by NABJ
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is sitting down with a panel of reporters hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia.
Harris was asked whether Americans are better off than they were three years ago.
The vice president said the Biden administration inherited a difficult economy.
Harris Condemns Assassination Attempt Against Trump
Harris says she was “briefed immediately after” Sunday’s apparent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump and that she is grateful “he’s OK.”
In an interview recorded on Monday with a Spanish-language radio host Chiquibaby, Harris echoed her past sentiments about the attack, condemning “violence of any kind.”
“We have to have civil dialogue, and be able to talk through our differences,” Harris said. “And violence has no place.”
The interview was airing Tuesday on a show that is syndicated on 100-plus Spanish-language radio stations.
Election Officials Prepare for Threats With Panic Buttons, Bulletproof Glass
The election director in Cobb County, an Atlanta suburb where votes will be fiercely contested in this year’s presidential race, recently organized a five-hour training session. The focus wasn’t solely on the nuts and bolts of running this year’s election. Instead, it brought together election staff and law enforcement to strategize on how to keep workers safe and the process of voting and ballot-counting secure.
Having a local sheriff’s deputy at early voting locations and panic buttons that connect poll managers to a local 911 dispatcher are among the added security steps the office is taking this year.
Tate Fall, Cobb County’s election director, said she was motivated to act after hearing one of her poll workers describe being confronted during the state’s presidential primary in March by an agitated voter who the worker noticed was carrying a gun. The situation ended peacefully, but the poll worker was shaken.
Trump and Harris Resume Campaigning after Second Apparent Assassination Attempt
As the investigation continues into what is suspected to be the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in as many months, the Republican presidential nominee is pushing ahead with his campaign schedule.
Trump will head to Flint, Michigan, on Tuesday for his first campaign event since the latest incident, which occurred in West Palm Beach on Sunday. The Michigan town hall will take place at 7 p.m. ET at the Dort Financial Center and will be hosted by Trump’s former White House press secretary, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Vice President Kamala Harris is also pressing on with her campaign. The Democratic nominee is slated to do an interview in Philadelphia with the National Association of Black Journalists. The interview will be livestreamed at 2:30 p.m. ET via the group’s social media channels.
Election Officials Prepare for Threats with Panic Buttons, Bulletproof Glass
The election director in Cobb County, an Atlanta suburb where votes will be fiercely contested in this year’s presidential race, recently organized a five-hour training session. The focus wasn’t solely on the nuts and bolts of running this year’s election. Instead, it brought together election staff and law enforcement to strategize on how to keep workers safe and the process of voting and ballot-counting secure.
Having a local sheriff’s deputy at early voting locations and panic buttons that connect poll managers to a local 911 dispatcher are among the added security steps the office is taking this year.
Tate Fall, Cobb County’s election director, said she was motivated to act after hearing one of her poll workers describe being confronted during the state’s presidential primary in March by an agitated voter who the worker noticed was carrying a gun. The situation ended peacefully, but the poll worker was shaken.
DeSantis Says He Talked to Trump
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he has talked to former President Donald Trump since the second apparent assassination attempt.
“He was in good spirits. He did remark that on that sixth hole, I think, he was in pretty good shape for potential birdie,” DeSantis said. “And if you know the former president, that matters a lot to him when you’re talking about this.”
DeSantis to Sign Order for State Control Over Trump Assassination Case
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that he will be signing an executive order to assign the case of the second assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump to Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody.
DeSantis noted that Moody has jurisdiction of the case given that the suspect, Ryan Routh, committed offenses across multiple counties.
“Also the state of Florida has jurisdiction over the most serious, straightforward offense, which is attempted murder,” he said.
“I’ve directed state agencies to move expeditiously and provide full transparency to the public.”
DeSantis expressed doubt about the federal government’s capability to take on the case, in which the incident occurred at Trump International Golf Club, while the GOP presidential nominee was golfing.
“In my judgment, it’s not in the best interest of our state or our nation as the same federal agencies that are seeking to prosecute Donald Trump are leading this investigation—especially when the most serious, straightforward offense constitutes a violation of state law, but not federal law,” he said.
DeSantis said the federal government does not have the jurisdiction to bring an attempted murder charge and therefore the State of Florida should move on the case so that the suspect can get life in prison.
Moody said Florida doesn’t want a “turf war” with federal agencies.
Harris and Walz Court Young Voters in Battleground States
Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are kicking off a week of action to encourage young voters in battleground states to sign up to vote in the Nov. 5 election.
Walz has events on Tuesday in Macon, Georgia, and Atlanta, followed by a rally in Asheville, North Carolina, while his wife, Gwen, appears in Las Vegas.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and actor Jane Fonda are among a group of high-profile Harris supporters who are set to participate in the registration drive.
More than 130 voter registration events will be held on college campuses—at basketball tournaments, football games and more—in the handful of states where Harris and Walz and the Republican presidential ticket of former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) are focusing their campaigns, the Harris-Walz campaign said.
The campaign will also have a presence at historically Black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions, including setting up kiosks to assist students with registration.
Trump’s Assassination Suspect Had No Ties to the Ukrainian Government: Kyiv Official
“We urge everyone to refrain from artificially linking the suspect’s actions to Ukraine,” Said Heorhii Tykhyi, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesman.
A man, identified as 58-year-old Ryan Routh, suspected of attempting to assassinate former U.S. President Donald Trump, was charged with two gun-related crimes in federal court on Sep. 16, a day after being spotted with a rifle hiding in the bushes at the former U.S. president’s golf course in Florida.
More charges appear likely, but the initial counts—possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number—will allow authorities to keep him in custody as the investigation continues.
Trump, the Republican presidential candidate in the Nov. 5 election, was unharmed. But the incident raised fresh questions about how an armed suspect was able to get so close to him, just two months after another gunman fired at Trump during a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing his ear with a bullet.
Emel Akan, Jackson Richman, and T.J. Muscaro, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.