A man suspected of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump was charged with two gun-related crimes in federal court on Monday, a day after being spotted with a rifle hiding in the bushes at the former US president’s golf course in Florida.
More charges appear likely, but the initial counts – possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number – will allow authorities to keep him in custody as the investigation continues.
The Republican presidential candidate in the November 5th election was unharmed. But the incident raised fresh questions about how an armed suspect was able to get so close to him, just two months after another gunman fired at Mr Trump during a July 13th rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing his ear with a bullet.
Phone records suggest the suspect may have been lying in wait for nearly 12 hours on Sunday, according to a criminal complaint.
The US Secret Service opened fire after an agent saw a rifle barrel poking out of the bushes on Sunday at Mr Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, a few hundred yards away from where the former president was playing.
The gunman fled in a sports utility vehicle, according to the complaint. Officers found a loaded assault-style rifle with a scope, a digital camera and a plastic bag of food left behind.
A suspect, identified on Monday as Ryan Routh, 58, was arrested about 40 minutes later driving north on Interstate 95. When asked if he knew why he had been stopped, Mr Routh “responded in the affirmative,” according to the complaint. The licence plate on his vehicle had been reported stolen from another car.
Phone records
Records show a phone associated with Mr Routh was located at the golf course starting at 1.59am (0559 GMT) on Sunday morning.
Mr Routh has two prior convictions, both in North Carolina, according to the criminal complaint: a 2002 conviction for possession of a weapon of mass death and destruction and a 2010 conviction for possession of stolen goods.
Further details about those cases were not immediately available.
Mr Trump blamed president Joe Biden and vice president and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris for the assassination attempt. He cited their “rhetoric” and claimed the suspected gunman was acting on Democrats’ “highly inflammatory language,” though authorities have not yet offered evidence of any motive.
“Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country, and they are the ones that are destroying the country – both from the inside and out,” he said, according to Fox.
Secret Service under pressure
The Secret Service, which protects US presidents, presidential candidates and other high-level dignitaries, has been under intense scrutiny since the earlier attempt on Mr Trump’s life.
That led to the resignation of director Kimberly Cheatle. The service bolstered Mr Trump’s security detail following the July 13th attack, in which the gunman was shot dead by responding agents.
The agency “needs more help,” including possibly more personnel, Mr Biden told reporters on Monday, adding: “Thank God the president’s OK.”
Ms Harris said on X: “Violence has no place in America.”
US House of Representatives speaker Mike Johnson, who convened a bipartisan task force to investigate after the first assassination attempt, said in a Fox News interview that Congress would also examine the latest incident.
“We need accountability,” said Mr Johnson who also called for more resources to protect Mr Trump. “We must demand that this job is being done.”
Ms Cheatle’s replacement, acting director Ronald Rowe, travelled to Florida after Sunday’s assassination attempt, according to several news outlets. Mr Rowe, who took over after Ms Cheatle’s resignation in July, told Congress on July 30th he was “ashamed” of security lapses in the earlier attack.
Mr Rowe has been with the 7,800-member Secret Service for 25 years, according to an official biography, rising to the agency’s No 2 spot before he was promoted in July.
Suspect is Ukraine sympathiser
Mr Routh was a staunch supporter of Ukraine and had travelled there after Russia’s 2022 invasion, seeking to recruit foreign fighters.
Profiles on X, Facebook and LinkedIn with Mr Routh’s name contained messages of support for Ukraine as well as statements describing Mr Trump as a threat to US democracy.
“@POTUS Your campaign should be called something like KADAF. Keep America democratic and free. Trumps should be MASA …make Americans slaves again master. DEMOCRACY is on the ballot and we cannot lose,” read a post on X, tagging Mr Biden.
Reuters was not able to confirm that the accounts belonged to the suspect, and law enforcement agencies declined to comment. Public access to the Facebook and X profiles was removed hours after Sunday’s incident.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw holds a photograph of the rifle and other items found near where a suspect was discovered during a press conference regarding an apparent assassination attempt of former president Donald Trump. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Ms Harris and other Democrats have cast Mr Trump as a danger to U.S. democracy, citing his effort to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election, which led to the January 6th, 2021, assault on the US Capitol. Ms Harris has promised unwavering support for Ukraine if elected.
Mr Trump has expressed scepticism about the amount of aid the US has provided Ukraine and has vowed to end the war immediately if elected. He told Reuters last year that Ukraine might have to cede some territory to gain peace.
Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, posted and then deleted a message on the social media site on Sunday wondering why no one had tried to assassinate Mr Biden or Ms Harris.
In a follow-up post on Monday, Mr Musk, who has endorsed Mr Trump, said he had been joking.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
