Donald Trump is safe after apparent assassination attempt

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said Secret Service agents shot a man pointing an AK-style rifle with a scope at the club while Trump was on the run. Bradshaw said the gunman also had two backpacks hanging from a fence and a GoPro camera and was about 400 yards to 500 yards away from Trump, hiding in the bushes as the former president played a hole in the golf course nearby. The person dropped the gun and fled in an SUV, and was later taken into custody in a neighboring county.

The incident was the latest disturbing moment in a campaign year marked by unprecedented unrest. It came about two months after Trump was shot during an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania and a bullet grazed his ear. Just one week later, President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.

In an email to supporters, Trump said: “There have been shootings in my neighborhood, but before the rumors start to get out of hand, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM OK AND SAFE!”

“Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER surrender!” said the former president.

The golf course was partially closed to Trump while he was playing, and agents were several holes ahead of him when they spotted the person with the firearm, Bradshaw said. There are several areas around the perimeter of the property where golfers are visible from the fence line. Secret Service agents and officers in golf carts and on ATVs generally secure the area several holes ahead and behind Trump when he plays golf. Agents also typically bring an armored vehicle along the route to quickly shelter Trump in the event of a threat.

Trump had returned to Florida this weekend from a West Coast swing that included a Friday night rally in Las Vegas and a fundraiser in Utah. His campaign had not advised Trump of his plans for Sunday. He often spends his mornings playing golf before lunching at the club, one of three he owns in the state.

The former president has had a heightened security footprint since the assassination attempt in July. When he was at Trump Tower in New York, a series of dump trucks were parked in a wall outside the building. And at outdoor rallies, he now speaks from behind a bulletproof glass enclosure.

Trump was returned safely after the incident to his private Mar-a-Lago club, where he lives in neighboring Palm Beach, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The White House said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, have been briefed and will be kept informed of the investigation. The White House added that they were “relieved” to know Trump was safe.

Harris, in a statement, said she was “glad” Trump was safe, adding that “violence does not happen in America.”

In an X post, Sen. Lindsey Graham, RS.C, one of Trump’s top allies in Congress, said he spoke with Trump after the incident and that Trump was in “good spirits” and was “one of the stronger people I’ve had. ever known.”

Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder said the suspect was apprehended within minutes after the FBI, Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office issued a “very urgent BOLO” — or “be on the lookout” — alert detailing the specific vehicle sought, the registration number and the description of the occupant.

Snyder said his deputies “immediately flooded” northbound I-95, deploying to every exit between the southbound Palm Beach County line and the St. Louis County line. Lucia to the north.

“One of my highway patrol units saw the vehicle, matched the tag and we set up on the vehicle,” said Snyder, “We clamped down on the car, brought it to a safe stop and took the driver into custody.”

Snyder told WPTV that the suspect “wasn’t armed when we got him out of the car.”

The man had a calm, level-headed demeanor and showed little emotion when he was pulled over by police, Snyder said, saying the suspect did not question why he was pulled over.

“He never asked ‘what is this about?’ Obviously law enforcement with long guns, blue lights, a lot going on. He never questioned it,” Snyder said.

Attorney General Merrick Garland has been briefed on the situation and is receiving regular updates on it, a Justice Department spokeswoman said.

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office post indicated the suspect was apprehended near Palm City, Fla., about a 45-mile drive north of Trump’s golf course. The northbound lanes of I-95 were closed, the sheriff’s office said.

A message to campaign officials seeking information on the security status and location of Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, was not immediately returned.

Max Egusquiza, of Palm Beach, described the emergency response outside Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach.

“Since I saw 5 unmarked black SUVs stuck in a gray Mercedes in front of the golf course. There were about 20 or more police cars flying from nearby streets,” he said.

Trump is scheduled to talk about cryptocurrency live on Monday night on social media site X for the launch of his sons’ crypto platform. He is expected to do so from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The former president is scheduled to return to the campaign trail Tuesday for a mayoral bid in Flint, Michigan, with his former press secretary, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, followed by a campaign rally in New York on Long Island on Wednesday.

At the end of the week, he is scheduled to attend and address the National Summit of the American Israeli Council in Washington, DC, and on Saturday to hold a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina.