A second assassination attempt on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was foiled on Sunday while he was golfing in West Palm Beach, Florida.
What Happened: The FBI reports that U.S. Secret Service agents identified and neutralized a gunman near the property line. The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, was apprehended after he discarded an AK-47-style assault rifle and fled the scene.
Following the incident, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk responded to a user’s query about the motive behind the assassination attempts. He questioned why there were no similar threats against President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris.
He also agreed with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) who went to Mar-a-Lago to meet Trump and said on X, formerly Twitter, saying, “No leader in American history has endured more attacks and remained so strong and resilient. He is unstoppable.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) also took to X to announce that the state would investigate the incident. He stressed the importance of transparency about the would-be assassin and how he managed to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) also took to X and said, “The stakes of this election are literally life or death.” She also asked why the suspect was carrying a GoPro camera. “Who would receive the video feed from today's assassin's GoPro,” adding, “There is a conspiracy to murder Donald Trump.”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also denounced the incident saying, “There never is a place for political violence of any kind in America.”
President Biden also condemned the act of political violence, saying, “I have directed my team to continue to ensure that Secret Service has every resource …. to ensure the former President's continued safety.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also expressed relief that the former President was unharmed saying, “We must denounce it in the strongest possible terms, and I am relieved that the former President is safe.”
Why It Matters: This incident marks the second assassination attempt on Trump. The first attempt took place in July 2024 in Pennsylvania, where a 20-year-old man fired eight shots at a rally before being neutralized by Secret Service agents.
Trump also reassured supporters of his safety, saying that he was unharmed. “I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!”
White House confirmed that President Biden and Vice President Harris were briefed about the situation. Harris took to X and said, “I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.”
Image via Shutterstock
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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