Secret Service foils assassination attempt on Donald Trump at Florida golf course

Assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a Florida golf course

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was safe on Sunday after the Secret Service thwarted what the FBI called an apparent assassination attempt while he was golfing at his course in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Secret Service agents spotted and fired at a gunman hiding in bushes near the golf course, just a few hundred yards from where Trump was playing, according to law enforcement officials.

The suspect left behind an AK-47-style rifle and other items at the scene before fleeing in a vehicle but was later arrested. This incident occurred two months after Trump was shot at during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, where he sustained a minor injury to his right ear.

Both incidents highlight the challenges of keeping presidential candidates safe, especially with just over seven weeks remaining before the November 5 election.

It is unclear if the suspect knew Trump was playing golf at the time, but the attempted attack is likely to raise concerns about Trump’s security.

CNN, Fox News, and The New York Times, citing unnamed law enforcement officials, identified the suspect as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh from Hawaii.

The FBI declined to comment.