Former President Donald Trump praised the quick actions of a Secret Service agent who stopped a potential assassination attempt at his West Palm Beach golf club over the weekend.
In an interview on Fox News’s Hannity, Trump expressed gratitude for the agent’s sharp response, contrasting it with a previous incident in July when a gunman’s bullet grazed his ear during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
“And, in this particular case, you had a very sharp agent, as good as you could find, and did a fantastic job,” Trump said.
He commended the agent who spotted the alleged assailant with a rifle at the golf course. He emphasized how easily the threat could have been missed.
“Somebody of lesser talents or somebody that was distracted could have missed or could have been shot,” Trump added.
The latest attempt occurred when Secret Service agents noticed a man allegedly pointing a rifle through the perimeter of the golf course. The agent fired at the suspect, who dropped his weapon and fled. Authorities later found a loaded rifle, ammunition, and other items at the scene.
The suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, was apprehended and charged with federal gun crimes, including unlawful possession of a firearm and using a weapon with obliterated serial numbers. Both federal and state authorities, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, announced investigations into the assassination attempt. DeSantis stressed that the state is pursuing the most serious charges available, including attempted murder.
This incident follows a July rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman opened fire, killing one and injuring two before being stopped by Secret Service agents. Trump noted that while agents acted bravely under fire, the security measures at the rally should have been more robust.
The Associated Press and the Hill contributed to this report.
