Tue Sep 17 06:53:51 UTC 2024: ## Trump Describes Apparent Assassination Attempt at Golf Course, Praises Secret Service and Civilian
**West Palm Beach, FL** – Former President Donald Trump provided his first detailed account of an incident at his West Palm Beach golf club on Sunday, which the FBI is investigating as a possible assassination attempt. Trump, speaking during a livestream on X, described hearing gunshots while playing golf with friends.
Trump praised the Secret Service, stating that they quickly moved him to safety after the shots were fired. He recounted that an agent fired a shot at a rifle that was seen poking through the fence. Trump added that the suspected shooter, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, did not manage to fire any shots at them.
Trump also expressed gratitude to a civilian who reported the suspect’s license plate, aiding authorities in tracking down Routh.
The Secret Service confirmed that Routh was apprehended after camping near the golf course for about 12 hours, but did not fire any shots. They stated that Trump was “out of sight of the gunman” during the incident.
Trump’s account of the incident largely aligned with the official statements made by the Secret Service, but he went further in characterizing the political views of Routh and Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was killed in a separate attempted assassination of Trump in Pennsylvania in July.
Trump claimed both men were “radical lefts,” linking the incidents to political rhetoric he perceived as a threat to democracy. While Routh has expressed diverse political views, he has made small donations to Democratic candidates and voted for Trump in 2016. Crooks’ motivation remains unclear, although investigators are examining a social media account with antisemitic and anti-immigrant posts potentially linked to him.
In the wake of the incident, Trump accused President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris of inciting violence with their rhetoric, claiming they are “the ones that are destroying the country.” He reiterated this sentiment during the X livestream, calling Harris a “Marxist Communist” and claiming that she is unfit to be president.
The White House has condemned political violence and stated that Biden expressed relief that Trump was safe after a phone call.
Despite the apparent assassination attempt, Trump remained defiant and continued to criticize Biden, reiterating his complaint about Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race.
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