New Delhi: The second assassination attempt on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Sunday, will make this the most controversial election in the country’s history. The US Secret Service, tasked with protecting presidents, former presidents and other dignitaries, already taken to task after the first assassination bid on Trump, will come under fresh pressure even though it foiled both attempts.
Notably, Trump was golfing on his course in West Palm Beach, Florida when the incident took place. Secret Service agents spotted and fired on a gunman in bushes near the property line of the golf course, a few hundred yards from where Trump was playing, law enforcement officials said, according to Reuters. The suspect left an AK-47-style assault rifle and other items at the scene and fled in a vehicle but was later arrested, the report added. The apparent attempt on Trump’s life came just two months after he was shot at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, sustaining a minor injury to his right ear.
CNN, Fox News and The New York Times identified the suspect as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, citing unnamed law enforcement officials. The FBI declined to comment. Following the shooting incident, the Republican US presidential candidate said that he is absolutely “safe and well.”
In a fundraising email, Trump wrote, “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!”
Within seconds, the suspected shooter fleed the crime spot in a black SUV, leaving behind his AK-47 rifle, a GoPro camera, and two bag packs, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told AP.
Later, the man was stopped by law enforcement in a neighbouring county. He had a calm and flat demeanour and showed no emotion when he was stopped and didn’t question why he was pulled over, according to Martin County Sheriff William Snyder.
US Vice President Kamala Harris expressed relief that Trump was safe after the incident and maintained that there is no place for violence in America.
“I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America,” the Democratic presidential wrote on her X (formerly Twitter) account. The White House released a statement after Donald Trump’s second assassination bid saying that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had been briefed on the situation and were both “relieved to know that he is safe.”
Meanwhile, Republicans are demanding that Donald Trump receive the same security as Joe Biden. Trump’s round-the-clock protective detail had been bolstered following the July attempt on his life, during which a bullet grazed his ear. However, his allies said further measures had to be taken to protect the 78-year-old as he fights to win back the White House, The Telegraph reported.
Joe Biden said: “I have directed my team to continue to ensure that the Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former president’s continued safety.”
The Secret Service is tasked with twenty four-hour protection of the President, Vice President, former holders of both offices, and all presidential and vice presidential candidates of the major parties. However, Trump does not receive the same level of protection as current office holders. The local sheriff said on Sunday that the golf course perimeter would have been surrounded if Trump was a serving president, according to The Telegraph.
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