Topline
Former President Donald Trump praised the Secret Service for doing a “fantastic job” Monday night and offered his first detailed account of what authorities say was an attempt to assassinate him at his West Palm Beach golf club on Sunday.
Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump offered his first detailed … [+]
Key Facts
Appearing in an X Spaces interview—which was supposed to promote his new crypto venture World Liberty Financial—Trump said he was playing golf with some of his friends when “all of a sudden we heard shots being fired in the air…I guess probably four or five…and it sounded like bullets.”
Trump said the Secret Service agents accompanying him “knew immediately it was bullets, and they grabbed me” and moved him out of the area in golf carts.
The former president said another agent at the course fired the gunshots he heard after spotting the barrel of a gun in the bushes, adding that the suspect never managed to get a shot off—confirming what law enforcement authorities have said.
Trump also praised a civilian present in the area who took a photo of the license plate on the suspect’s vehicle and shared it with the sheriff’s office, calling it “key” to his arrest.
When asked why he thought there was a second attempt on his life, the former president blamed the Democrats, saying “A lot of people think that the Democrats when they talk about ‘a threat to democracy’ and all of this, and it seems that both of these people were radical lefts.”
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Crucial Quote
Discussing his phone call with President Joe Biden after Sunday’s incident, Trump said: “He was very nice today. He called up to make sure I was okay…he couldn’t have been nicer.” Biden also checked with Trump if needed more people on his security detail.
Key Background
On Sunday, a secret service agent spotted a gun poking out of a fence at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, and fired at the gunman—who fled the scene leaving behind an AK-47-style rifle with a scope, two backpacks, and a GoPro camera at the scene. The suspect was quickly arrested in nearby Martin County, with the help of details provided by the witness who photographed his car. The FBI has described the incident as an apparent “attempted assassination of the former president.” The suspected shooter was identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, and he has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Routh could still face additional charges in the case. In a press conference on Monday, Ronald Rowe Jr., the acting Secret Service Director, said Routh did not fire at any agents before they fired at him. According to a complaint filed by authorities in court, Routh’s phone location data showed he waited outside the golf course with his rifle for almost 12 hours before being spotted.
Tangent
Crypto influencer Farokh Sarmad conducted the X Spaces interview with Trump, and it was originally scheduled to promote the former president’s new crypto venture. During the interview, Trump spoke about making the U.S. a leading player in the crypto and blockchain sector, and warned “If we don’t do it, China is going to do it.” But the former president left details of the project, known as World Liberty Financial, to his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump and two little-known crypto entrepreneurs who are leading the project—Chase Herro and Zachary Folkman. Herro has described himself as the ‘Dirtbag of the Internet’ while Folkman used to run a service called “Date Hotter Girls,” where he gave seminars on how to pick up women.
Further Reading
Suspect In Trump Attempted Assassination Charged With 2 Gun Counts In Federal Court (Forbes)
Trump Assassination Attempt: Everything We Know About The Arrested Suspect (Forbes)