Suspect Ryan Wesley Routh appears in court, faces gun charges after Trump assassination attempt

Ronald Rowe Jr., the acting director of the Secret Service, speaks during a news conference by law enforcement officials, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office in West Palm Beach, Fla., to provide an update on the investigation into the apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe praised his agents for their response to the second assassination attempt on former President Trump, saying his agency has tackled a series of challenges in the past two months despite limited resources.

Rowe noted that more resources are needed to keep the agency charged with protecting the president and many others at the top of its game.

“The Secret Service operates under a paradox of zero failed missions, but also, that we have done more with less for decades,” he said. “We have immediate needs right now and we have great support.”

After the first attempt on Trump's life in July during a Butler, Pennsylvania, campaign rally, Rowe ordered a shift, focusing on the Secret Service's methodology.

He noted the agency needs more funding for new hires and additional training.

“You can't just give me funding and say ‘Hey, we’re going to make sure that everybody gets overtime,'” said Rowe. “Because the men and women of the Secret Service right now, we are redlining them. And they are rising to this moment and they are meeting the challenges right now."

He cited the past two months in which agents have helped secure the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington and West Palm Beach, Florida, and last week's presidential debate between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Our folks are rising to this moment but it requires all of us to be able to have good conversations and make sure that we're getting the Secret Service where it needs to be,” Rowe said.

Law enforcement officials work outside of the Trump International Golf Club after the apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The suspect accused of trying to assassinate former President Trump as he was golfing in Florida didn't fire any shots and didn't have a line of sight, authorities said Monday.

The suspect accused of trying to assassinate former President Trump as he was golfing in Florida didn't fire any shots and didn't have a line of sight on the former president, authorities said Monday.

A U.S. Secret Service agent was sweeping an area when they saw Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, armed with what he believed was a firearm and opened fire, acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe said during a news conference.

“The subject, who did not have line of sight to the former president, fled the scene,” Rowe said. “He did not fire or get off any shots at our agents.”

Routh was arrested a short time later and Trump was evacuated to a safe location, Rowe said.

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder joined Fox News’ “America Reports” Monday to recount the moments leading up to the arrest of the suspect in the second assassination attempt of former President Trump.

Snyder described the moment as “tense” as deputies made what they believed would be the “highest profile stop” in the history of the Martin County Sheriff’s office.

Asked what the suspect, Ryan Routh, was like when deputies apprehended him, Snyder described him as “very poised” and “very in control of himself.”

“Even though we had armed deputies all over the place – probably 30 deputies out there – rifles, helicopter overhead, both north and south on I-95 shutdown, he was just in the middle of it all. Never asked, ‘hey, what’s this about?’” Snyder said. “And when I saw that, I realized he knew what time it was. He knew that the gig was up, and he was caught.”

A person fishes outside of the Mar-a-Lago estate after the apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The security level at former President Trump's Florida residence is the highest it can be, authorities said Monday.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said road closures near the golf course where his life was in danger Sunday were expected to be in place until sometime Tuesday.

“The security level at Mar-A-Lago is the highest it can possibly be,” he said during a news conference.

The FBI is investigating the matter as an assassination attempt on Trump, the second in as many months

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., responds to questions from reporters following the Senate Republican policy luncheon at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the second assassination attempt of former President Trump over the weekend should be a moment of “soul searching” for all Americans.

Speaking on the Senate floor, McConnell said he was dismayed to hear of the incident.

“It's dismaying to begin another week with news of an assassination attempt against a former president," he said. "We certainly are all grateful once again, at the worst, outcome was avoided. This ought to be a moment of soul-searching for all Americans. It's your time to reflect on the ways that our political process has been injected by reprehensible violence.”

He added that democracy flows from the ballot box, not from the barrel of a gun.

“In the meantime, for the second time in as many months, law enforcement faces an even more urgent task completing a thorough, swift and transparent investigation into the circumstances of yesterday's close call," McConnell said. "The American people deserve answers. They deserve assurances that a former president who tens of millions of Americans have nominated once again, will receive every appropriate measure of security, and they ought to receive them without delay.”

U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., a member of the bipartisan task force investigating July's assassination attempt of former President Trump , questioned why there wasn't an increase in the Secret Service detail for him on Sunday when his life was in danger for a second time.

Waltz said that acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe told lawmakers that President Biden, back in July, called for Trump and Vice President Harris to have the same level of maximum protection.

“Clearly, the agents responded appropriately, as did the agents on July 13th,” Waltz told “America Reports” on Monday. “But there was a breakdown in terms of the perimeter and how that was established. And I think there's a bigger issue here that I've talked to acting Secret Service Director Rowe about and I think the committee needs to take a hard look at. And that's how the Secret Service allocates its resources. It's kind of stuck in this paradigm.”

“You're a sitting president and vice president," he added. "You get this, you're a former and you get that.”

The suspect targeting Trump at his Florida golf course was arrested and the Secret Service has been commended for its quick response.

Waltz said the agency needs to base its allocation of resources based on the severity of threats against the protectees, not a “cookie-cutter approach.”

Rowe said he wasn't aware of why Trump's security detail may not have been the maximum level of protection," the congressman said.

“They've beefed it up dramatically," said Waltz. "And they have. Anybody who's traveled with the president can see that. But clearly, there are some kind of either a protocol disconnect or still a resource disconnect. And then the other piece is he's saying, you know, they're maxed out.”

“He also briefed us, between all these details, the U.N. and the meetings Biden's having this weekend, they're completely maxed. But when I and others talk to agents, they're saying, look, there's agents available. They want to travel, they want the overtime. And so those are also disconnects that the task force has got to get the bottom up.”   

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) listens during a news conference on "Project 2025" at the U.S. Capitol on September 12, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday said lawmakers were prepared to give the U.S. Secret Service more resources following the second assassination attempt on former President Trump over the weekend.

“I will say what I have said many times before, there is no place in America for political violence of any kind. I'm glad the former president is safe, and I applaud the Secret Service and all first responders for acting quickly before anyone got hurt,” Schumer said Monday.

Schumer called for the suspect to be prosecuted “to the fullest extent of the law.”

“We all must do our part to ensure an incident like this does not happen again. This means that Congress has a responsibility to ensure the Secret Service and all law enforcement have the resources they need to do their jobs,” Schumer said. “So, as we continue the appropriations process, if the Secret Service is in need of more resources, we are prepared to [provide] it for them.”

Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, on Monday said he believes the U.S. Secret Service left former President Trump in “grave danger” after he narrowly survived yet another assassination attempt.

Appearing on “America Reports” Monday, Fallon, a member of the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Former President Donald Trump, criticized zealots for spreading divisive rhetoric and the left for “emotionally” driving supporters to the polls.

Fallon said he has been advocating for Trump to get the same level of protection as the sitting president.

“[Trump] is a former president, but he’s also the leading candidate to be president and he’s under threat from a foreign nation state for actions he took to protect the country while he was president. So, Donald Trump’s a very unique individual,” Fallon said.

The GOP lawmaker said he’s heard from whistleblowers close to the Secret Service who’ve said they need to allocate resources more effectively.

“But they have 8,000 employees and $3 billion budget. They have to have known extra money was needed in Butler to mitigate the PR complex,” Fallon said, referring to the first assassination on Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. “They just didn’t do it, and they didn’t do it. And they left President Trump in grave danger.” 

Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks to the U.S. Attorneys who have gathered for their annual conference at the Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said multiple agencies were investigating a second assassination attempt on former President Trump over the weekend.

“We are grateful the former President is safe," Garland said in a statement.

“The FBI is continuing to investigate what appears to be an assassination attempt of former President Trump that occurred yesterday in Florida,” he added. “The entire Justice Department — including the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and the National Security Division — is coordinating closely with our law enforcement partners on the ground.”

Garland said investigators will “work tirelessly to ensure accountability, and we will bring every available resource to bear in this investigation.” 

An officer with the Palm Beach County Sheriffs works outside of Trump International Golf Club after the apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Former President Trump thanked the U.S. Secret Service and local law enforcement following a second attempt on his life in a two-month span.

Trump took to X on Monday to thank everyone for their concern and well wishes following the incident at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.

“It was certainly an interesting day!” he wrote. “Most importantly, I want to thank the U.S. Secret Service, (Palm Beach County) Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and his Office of brave and dedicated Patriots, and, all of Law Enforcement, for the incredible job done today at Trump International in keeping me, as the 45th President of the United States, and the Republican Nominee in the upcoming Presidential Election, SAFE. THE JOB DONE WAS ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING. I AM VERY PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!”

The suspect, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, appeared in court Monday in West Palm Beach and is charged with federal gun crimes.

Trump was shot in July during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The suspected gunman was killed by Secret Service agents who returned fire.

The agency has been heavily criticized in the weeks since over security lapses that could have prevented the shooting.

Donald Trump Jr. on Monday lamented having to have conversations with his children about yet another assassination attempt on their grandfather, former President Donald Trump.

“You know what’s getting really old? Having to have conversations with my 5 young children about radical leftist[s] trying to kill their grandfather,” Trump Jr. wrote on X Monday morning. “No person should ever have to do this in America or anywhere else and yet I had to have that conversation five times again yesterday.”

The tweet comes a day after a suspect was arrested in an attempted assassination of the Republican presidential candidate in Florida.

The suspect, identified as 58-year-old Ryan Routh, was captured moments later on northbound Interstate 95 after deputies surrounded his vehicle.

The alleged gunman arrested at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, has a lengthy paper trail of pro-Ukraine advocacy, according to several news reports Monday.

The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was arrested Sunday after allegedly pushing the muzzle of an assault rifle through a chain-link fence near former President Donald Trump's golf course, where the former president was playing the fifth hole. However, this is not the first time Routh has been identified.

Routh is a pro-Ukraine activist who has spent time in the Eastern European country volunteering to raise more support for the nation's military efforts and even sought Afghan veterans who fled from the Taliban to fight in the war, a New York Times report noted.

He was also interviewed by Semafor in March 2023 and expressed frustration at the Ukranian government for having too much red tape around admitting foreign soldiers to fight in the war.

"Ukraine is very often hard to work with. Many foreign soldiers leave after a week in Ukraine or must move from unit to unit to find a place they are respected and appreciated," Routh told Semafor, adding that he'd been "yelled at" for suggesting Afghan veterans.

"They’re afraid that anybody and everybody is a Russian spy," he said.

Routh also talked to Newsweek's Romania edition in 2022, again about his recruitment efforts for the International Legion Defense of Ukraine, which is an on-the-ground unit for the nation's army.

Read the full article about alleged Trump gunman Ryan Routh by Jamie Joseph. 

President Biden condemned the assassination attempt against former President Trump on Monday during his first public appearance since the incident.

Biden reiterated his statement that there is "no place" for political violence in America.

"I commend the Secret Service for their expert handling of the situation, that the former president was protected from harm and that the suspect is in custody," Biden said.

"In America, we resolve our differences peacefully at the ballot box, not at the end of a gun," he continued. "America has suffered too many times at the tragedy of an assassin's bullet. It solved nothing and just tears the country apart."

"We must do everything we can to prevent it, and never give it any oxygen," he added.

The statement came hours after Trump himself blamed the "rhetoric" from the Biden-Harris administration for inspiring the attempts on his life.

"He believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it," Trump said of the alleged gunman, Ryan Wesley Routh, in an interview with Fox News Digital. "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." 

Neighbors of suspect Ryan Wesley Routh in North Carolina say they were "afraid" of the alleged would-be Trump assassin, according to reports.

Routh, allegedly attempted to kill former President Trump while he was golfing this weekend, has most recently lived in Hawaii but lived in Greensboro, North Carolina prior to that.

One neighbor, a woman, spoke with FOX8 on condition of anonymity, telling the outlet that she has known Routh for roughly 20 years.

“Him, I mean, trying to shoot Trump. That’s a lot. I would have never guessed, and I would have swore up and down, no, that’s not him,” she said. “… I just can’t believe it. I mean, if I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I mean the pictures and stuff and all, then I wouldn’t be able to believe that.”

She went on to say that she was familiar with Routh owning firearms, saying some neighbors had been intimidated.

“I’ve seen the guns myself and all, and, yeah, they had a lot of guns and stuff over there, and, yeah, a lot of people were afraid of him back in the day,” she said.

Routh is charged with federal gun crimes and currently in federal custody.

Authorities in a suburban New York county that will host President Donald Trump's first campaign rally since the second failed assassination attempt are delivering a security briefing as they prepare for the 2024 Republican candidate's arrival.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder sought to reassure voters of their security measures at a news briefing ahead of the event.

Trump will rally supporters at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum Wednesday evening – just days after the U.S. Secret Service opened fire on an armed man who pointed a rifle at him from the perimeter of his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The suspect in that case, Ryan Wesley Routh, made his first appearance in federal court earlier Monday. He is facing federal charges of felony possession of a firearm and possessing a gun with its serial number defaced.

More charges could be likely as the investigation continues.

On July 13, another gunman opened fire at the Trump rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, killed a 50-year-old father of two named Corey Comperatore, critically wounded David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, according to authorities.

Martin County Sheriff Will Snyder provided new details on Monday about the second assassination attempt on former President Trump, including that Trump invited the officers who caught the suspect to his Mar-a-Lago estate. 

Snyder deputies received a description of suspect Ryan Routh’s vehicle and vehicle tags from Palm Beach County authorities, which allowed the deputies to quickly locate Routh on northbound Interstate 95. 

“Thank God we found that car,” Snyder said. “I think we were able to give former President Trump peace of mind.” 

“He’s invited the men and women involved in the stop to go to Mar-a-Lago and be thanked for what they did,” the sheriff continued. 

When a reporter asked to clarify whether Trump extended that invitation to the law enforcement involved in Routh’s arrest, Snyder replied: “He did.” 

Snyder said that Routh was caught near the Palm City exit in I-95, and it took about 2 miles to get all the resources in play for authorities to surround the vehicle and force it to a stop. 

“He was smart, he was just driving with the flow of traffic. I think that he may have thought that he got away with it.”

The moment that deputies arrested a suspect in an attempted assassination of former President Trump in Florida was captured on officer-worn bodycam video that was released Monday afternoon.

Ryan Routh, 58, was captured Sunday on northbound Interstate 95 after deputies surrounded his vehicle, Martin County Sheriff Will Snyder said during a press briefing Monday.

The sheriff’s office released the footage, which shows deputies ordering the driver to slowly walk backwards with his hands on his head toward deputies after surrendering.

Routh is accused of lying in wait for Trump in the brush at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, while armed with an SKS-style rifle.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Stephen Sorace.

An FBI officer works outside of Trump International Golf Club after the apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Suspect Ryan Wesley Routh camped out on Trump International Golf Course West Palm Beach for nearly 12 hours in his alleged attempt to assassinate former President Trump, phone records show.

The charging document released by federal authorities for Routh details much of the police action taken after he fled the scene. A witness saw Routh run out of a tree line and into a black Nissan. Local police would later use that description to stop Routh in traffic. The witness was then transported to the traffic stop location to confirm Routh's identity.

"Agents requested T-Mobile, on an emergency basis, to provide law enforcement with information pertaining to Routh's mobile phone usage. Those records indicated that Routh's mobile phone was located in the vicinity of the area along the tree line from approximately 1:59 AM until approximately 1:31 PM on September 15," the charging document reads.

The Secret Service patrols at least one hole ahead of the former President whenever he is playing golf. One such agent spotted Routh's rifle poking out of the tree line and immediately opened fire. Routh is not believed to have fired a shot.

Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe is on the ground in West Palm Beach, Florida, following the second assassination attempt against former President Trump on Monday.

Rowe took over the agency following the resignation of ex-Director Kimberly Cheatle, who was harshly criticized for her handling of the first assassination attempt against Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Rowe, as acting director, has leaped into the forefront of the House Oversight Committee's investigation of the agency's failures that nearly allowed 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks to kill Trump during a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday, July 13.

Rowe is now responsible for leading the more than 7,800 special agents, uniformed division officers and technical law enforcement officers, as well as administrative and technical staff.

Rowe, a 24-year veteran of the Secret Service, has served in a multitude of leadership positions within the agency. Rowe was also assigned to the Presidential Protective Detail during the Bush administration from 2004 to 2008.

Prior to joining the Secret Service, Rowe served as a police officer in West Palm Beach, where Sunday's incident occurred.

Ryan Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Trump on Sunday, has had at least 100 run-ins with law enforcement before his most recent arrest. 

A background check on Routh revealed that he currently lives in Hawaii and has faced dozens of run-ins with police, stretching back to at least the 1990s. 

His list of arrests includes simple drug possession, driving without a license, expired inspection and operating a vehicle with no insurance. In addition, the Greensboro News & Record reported in 2002 that Routh was arrested after barricading himself in his roofing company's office during a three-hour standoff that followed a traffic stop in which he put his hand on a gun before fleeing. 

Routh was arrested shortly after the incident at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla. Authorities said Secret Service agents fired at him after seeing the muzzle of his AK-47 pointing through a chain-link fence one hole ahead of where Trump was playing a round.

Kai Trump, the eldest grandchild of former President Trump  and daughter of Donald Trump Jr., addressed what would be the first assassination attempt on her grandfather during the Republican National Convention in July. 

Kai, 17, said at the time that she was "shocked" and found the incident that unfolded on the stage of a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, to be "heartbreaking." 

"On Saturday, I was shocked when I heard that he had been shot, and I just wanted to know if he was OK,” she said during the speech, recounting that it took roughly 90 minutes to find out her grandfather survived.

“It was heartbreaking that someone would do that to another person." 

She also expressed pride in how her grandfather handled the moment. 

Kai said she had "never seen anything like" the iconic scene of Trump getting up and pumping his fist in the aftermath of the shot that grazed his ear. 

"I thought it was amazing and so strong, and you can’t fake that in the moment at all," she said of the scene. "That means he truly cares, and he’s fighting for America." 

Trump was the target of a second assassination attempt on Sunday while golfing at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday that his state will conduct a separate investigation into how a second gunman was able to get within 500 yards of former President Trump.

The former president was playing a round at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, when the U.S. Secret Service opened fire on Ryan Wesley Routh, who was allegedly armed with a rifle.

Authorities said Routh had a GoPro camera and two backpacks, and allegedly shoved the muzzle of his rifle through a chain-linked fence about 300 to 500 yards away from the former president.

The agents fired at Routh after they saw him raising the weapon, Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson confirmed. Routh then fled in a black Nissan but was apprehended quickly, authorities said.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Greg Wehner

Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect in the second assassination attempt against former President Trump, was seen laughing in the courtroom as he was charged with federal gun crimes Monday.

He was charged with possession of firearm by convicted felon and possession of firearm with obliterated serial number. FOX has been told additional federal charges are possible.

Routh will be arraigned on Sept. 30.

Routh has been in custody since Sunday afternoon, when he attempted to lie in ambush at Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida. A Secret Service agent saw Routh's AK-47-style rifle poking through a fence and agents opened fire.

Routh was not hit, and he fled without returning fire. A witness saw him enter a black Nissan and photographed the vehicle for police. Routh was soon apprehended in a nearby county.

The suspect was being held at the Palm Beach County jail, which lies just across the street from Trump International Golf Course. It is unclear where Routh will be taken following Monday's court proceedings.

Fox News' Heather Lacy and Shona Holagh contributed to this report

President Biden briefly responded to questions from reporters outside the White House about the second assassination attempt of former President Trump. 

Biden greeted reporters on the South Lawn of the White House as he was leaving for Marine One. 

“Thank god the president is okay,” Biden said of Trump when reporters asked for more information about the assassination attempt.

“The one thing I want to make more clear is service needs more help and I think Congress should respond to their needs,” Biden continued. 

One reporter can be heard asking: “What kind of help do they need?” 

“I think they may need – they're deciding whether they need more personnel or not,” Biden responded before continuing toward Marine One. 

Trump was golfing Sunday at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, when Secret Service agents thwarted the assassination attempt, firing on a suspect who authorities say was poking a rifle through the fence just one hole, about 300 yards, ahead of the former president. 

The suspect, identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh of North Carolina, was arrested a short time later after a witness shared a photo of the suspect’s vehicle with authorities. 

Routh will appear in federal court in West Palm on Monday morning, where he is expected to face federal charges.

EXCLUSIVE: Former President Trump said President Biden and Vice President Harris’ "rhetoric" is what is causing him to be "shot at," following the second assassination attempt against him since July, while telling Fox News Digital that the suspected gunman "acted" on "highly inflammatory language" of Democrats.  

Trump spoke exclusively with Fox News Digital Monday morning, just a day after he was rushed off of the golf course at Trump International in West Palm Beach, Fla., after the Secret Service discovered a gunman in the bushes. 

The suspected gunman, Ryan Wesley Routh, had an AK-47 style rifle pointing through the chain-link fence out toward the green; a go-pro camera; and two backpacks. He ran from the scene but was pulled over and arrested on I-95. 

Authorities are treating the episode as an apparent assassination attempt against Trump.

Trump was safe following the second assassination attempt against him since July. 

"He believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it," Trump said of the gunman in an interview with Fox News Digital. "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." 

Trump pointed to Biden and Harris’ past comments casting Trump as a "threat to democracy," while telling Americans they are "unity" leaders. 

"They are the opposite," Trump said. "These are people that want to destroy our country." 

He added: "It is called the enemy from within. They are the real threat." 

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Brooke Singman

The suspect in the second assassination attempt of former President Trump urged Iran to kill him in an apparently self-published book. 

“You are free to assassinate Trump,” Routh wrote of Iran in the book, “Ukraine’s Unwinnable War,” The Associated Press reported. 

The book, published in 2023, described the former president as a “fool” and “buffoon” for both the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots and the “tremendous blunder” of leaving the Iran nuclear deal. 

Routh described himself online as an initial supporter of Trump before developing a disdain for the former president. 

Routh was arrested Sunday after the Secret Service thwarted the assassination attempt. Authorities said that Routh stalked Trump as he golfed in West Palm Beach, Florida, with a AK-47-style rifle.

Reps. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., and Jason Crow, D-Co., joined 'America's Newsroom' to discuss the second attempt on former President Donald Trump's life and lingering questions on the incident as the investigation continues Monday.

Crow opened by condemning the assassination attempt, saying political violence "has no place" in our country. Kelley added that the Secret Service has told the House task force investigating Trump's first assassination attempt that the agency is short on staff.

"We've reached a point right now where the rhetoric has hit a fever pitch ," Kelley said. "First of all, the event in Butler was a public event. We had 25-30 thousand people. And when Trump is playing golf at Trump International – how did the shooter know he was coming? In Butler, everyone knew he was coming. There were preparations that should have been put in place."

Crow added that the House will be investigating whether Secret Service protocols were followed in the Florida incident. He said it the agency appeared not to follow protocols in the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt.

Palm Beach County, Florida, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw joined Fox News to explain the investigation into the second assassination attempt against former President Trump on Monday.

Bradshaw said authorities are looking into whether the suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, had a place where he was staying locally in Florida. Routh's main residence has been in Hawaii in recent years.

Bradshaw confirmed that Routh is being held in the Palm Beach county jail ahead of his court appearance later Monday.

"Right now, its about gathering some more forensics if we can and see where the gun came from," Bradshaw said.

He went on to say that Routh has not spoken to police, though he could not comment on whether Routh had already obtained legal representation.

Bradshaw credited the Secret Service agents for opening fire on Routh before he could attack the former president. He said the Secret Service patrols at least one hole ahead of Trump when he plays golf.

Ryan Routh, the man accused of trying to assassinate former President Trump on Sunday, will appear in federal court in West Palm on Monday morning.

Routh is expected to face federal charges, though it is unclear whether he will face state charges.

Routh, a 58-year-old native of North Carolina, was being held at Palm Beach County Jail after authorities captured him Sunday.

As Trump was golfing at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., Secret Service agents fired shots after spotting someone poking a rifle through the fence at the golf course just one hole away from the former president.

The suspect fled, but was authorities quickly captured the suspect, identified as Routh, after a witness shared a photo of his vehicle.

Fox News' David Spunt contributed to this report.

A Democratic congressman demanded that the U.S. Secret Service expand the protective perimeter around former President Donald Trump following a second assassination attempt on Sunday. 

"Two assassination attempts in 60 days on a former President & the Republican nominee is unacceptable," Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., wrote. "The Secret Service must come to Congress tomorrow, tell us what resources are needed to expand the protective perimeter, & lets allocate it in a bipartisan vote the same day."

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he was briefed by the acting director of the Secret Service and applauded the Secret Service "for their quick response to ensure former President Trump’s safety."

"There is no place in this country for political violence of any kind," Schumer wrote. "The perpetrator must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., appeared to reference the assassination attempt on Trump indirectly in a social media post. 

"Political violence has no place in a democratic society," Jeffries wrote. 

Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a Florida Democrat running against Republican Sen. Rick Scott for his seat in the upper chamber, also appeared to allude to the assassination attempt with a broader message.

"Gun violence, and political violence, have no place in our society. PERIOD," she wrote on X. 

Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., said the level of resources assigned to former President Trump are a failure, and called on President Biden and Vice President Harris to ask that additional security be assigned to the former president after a second assassination attempt on Sunday. 

Lee, a member of the bipartisan House task force investigating the previous attempted assassination of Trump in Butler, Pa., in July, told “Fox & Friends” that the threat to Trump is “extreme” and requires a stronger level of security. 

“President Biden and Vice President Harris should call for a full presidential level detail to be assigned to President Trump,” Lee said. “Clearly the threat to him is extreme and that needs to happen immediately.” 

Lee said that spending priorities need to be investigated so that any security “failures” can be addressed. 

“As Congress, we have an obligation to look at the entire Department of Homeland Security, see where there spending priorities are, see where that money is going,” Lee said. “Absolutely there are places we could be cutting the spending at Homeland Security and those resources may need to go to Secret Service to make sure they have a full complement of agents who are the best and the brightest.” 

Secret Service agents thwarted the apparent attempt on Trump’s life while the former president was golfing at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday. Agents fired on a suspect who was poking a rifle through the fence just one hole ahead of the former president. 

The suspect was eventually apprehended through the help of a witness who shared a photo of the suspect’s getaway vehicle.

West Palm Beach State Attorney Dave Aronberg detailed the potential charges that suspect Ryan Wesley Routh could face following the second assassination attempt against former President Trump.

Aronberg appeared on Fox News Monday morning and said Routh will be prosecuted under federal rather than state law, and he will appear in court either Monday or Tuesday. Aronberg said his office had been working on warrants for pre-trial detention before federal authorities took over the case.

Aronberg added that he expects Routh to be charged with aggravated assault with a firearm against a federal law enforcement officer, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

"He's also apparently an ex-felon in possession of a firearm. That can get you up to 10 years in prison. That's the easiest charge to prove of all," Aronberg said. "He's also perhaps being investigated for a threat against a former president, which can get you up to five years in prison."

Aronberg noted that Routh was carrying a GoPro camera at the time of the incident. He said depending on the contents of the camera, it could be used as evidence against Routh.

Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity spoke with former President Trump on Sunday moments after an apparent assassination attempt in Florida and gave grim details on what may have been the second attempt on Trump's life in just two months.

Hannity joined fellow hosts Eric Shawn and Arthel Neville as the news was breaking, telling viewers he had just spoken with Trump and Miami real estate developer Steven Witkoff, who were on the fifth hole at about 1:30 p.m. when shots rang out at the Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach.

"Within seconds, the Secret Service pounced on the president and covered him," Hannity said. "You had snipers with tripods. They knew the direction where the shots had been fired. And they had eyes on the location where the shots had been fired," Hannity said, adding that Secret Service whisked the president away to the clubhouse.

It was later determined that the shots had been fired by Secret Service agents who saw the suspect with an AK-47, which he discarded as he fled in a black Nissan. The man, who was not identified, was arrested a short time later.

Sunday’s shooting comes approximately two months after an assassination attempt on Trump just minutes after he began a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Hannity said Trump's main concern upon reaching the clubhouse seemed to be to make sure everyone was OK. The former president quipped that he regretted not being able to finish the hole he was on. 

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Bradford Betz

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., joined “Fox & Friends” on Monday morning to share details about his meeting with former President Trump at Mar-a-Lago shortly after Secret Service agents thwarted a second assassination attempt on the former president. 

“He was in very good spirits,” Johnson said of Trump, “as you might expect, that’s who he is, so resilient.” 

“There has been no leader in the history of America who has been so attacked and has remained so strong and so resilient,” Johnson said. “He is one-of-a-kind. He is not going to stop fighting for the American people.” 

Trump was golfing at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., when Secret Service agents fired on a suspect who was poking a rifle through the fence just one hole ahead of the former president. The suspect was eventually apprehended through the help of a witness who shared a photo of the suspect’s getaway vehicle. The incident comes two months after Trump survived a previous assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Penn. 

Johnson said that Trump surviving two assassination attempts was not luck, but rather providence. 

“God has spared his life twice now,” Johnson said, adding that he thinks the second assassination attempt has moved Trump’s heart as the former president continues to process the incident. 

Johnson also said he believes Trump needs more security following the attempts, noting that a lack of manpower, not funding, is likely holding back additional security coverage.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., blasted the Secret Service and other authorities for not securing the area around former President Trump before another attempted assassination attempt against him on Sunday.

Burchett spoke to Eric Shawn on "Fox News Live" about ongoing details regarding the assassination attempt outside Trump International Golf Club where Trump was playing golf at the time. Authorities have said the suspect, later identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, was 300 to 500 yards before Secret Service opened fire against him.

The congressman wants answers on how the suspect was able to get that close to the former president and revealed that other lawmakers are already demanding more security measures.

"They are already calling now. And you got to ask yourself, why was there not a drone flying over wherever the president is? This is ridiculous," Burchett said.

While he had harsh criticism for the Secret Service, the Tennessee lawmaker complimented the agents who were able to spot and open fire on the suspect.

"The problem is you've got a Secret Service , at least in my opinion, and in the public's eye, that is compromised and that it lacks in leadership. And you've got great agents on the ground, obviously, one who took that shot. But why in the world would anybody be anywhere near the perimeter of this? This line of sight that we talk about is just beyond me. So we've got to get some answers. I don't think we're going to get them during this administration, but hopefully, under the Trump administration, we’ll clean this rat's nest out," Burchett said.

He added, "There is no way in hell that somebody should have been that close to President Trump with an AK Steel or AK-47 or whatever it was with a scope."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Lindsay Kornick

The 58-year-old man accused of pointing an AK-47 at former President Donald Trump on Sunday afternoon has a prolific arrest record that spans several decades.

Ryan Wesley Routh was arrested shortly after the incident at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla. Authorities said Secret Service agents fired at him after seeing the muzzle of his AK-47 pointing through a chain-link fence one hole ahead of where Trump was playing.

Authorities are treating the episode as an apparent assassination attempt on Trump.

A background check on the name given by officials, Ryan Wesley Routh, revealed that he currently lives in Hawaii and has faced dozens of run-ins with police, stretching back to at least the 1990s.

Routh is a native of North Carolina, where his list of arrests includes simple drug possession, driving without a license, expired inspection and operating a vehicle with no insurance. In addition, the Greensboro News & Record reported in 2002 that Routh was arrested after barricading himself in his roofing company's office during a three-hour standoff that followed a traffic stop in which he put his hand on a gun before fleeing.

Routh moved to Hawaii in 2017, records show. He has since launched another construction company in Hawaii that builds simple housing structures for homeless people, according to a LinkedIn page that appears to belong to Routh.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Emma Colton

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, responded to the second attempted assassination former President Trump. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, responded to the second attempted assassination on his running mate, former President Trump. 

Vance wrote in a post on social media that he was “glad” Trump was safe after the incident at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., where the former president was playing a round on Sunday. 

“I spoke to [Trump] before the news was public and he was, amazingly, in good spirits,” Vance wrote. “Still much we don't know, but I'll be hugging my kids extra tight tonight and saying a prayer of gratitude.” 

Secret Service agents fired shots after spotting someone hiding in shrubbery and poking a rifle through the fence at the golf course just one hole away from the former president. 

The suspect, identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, a native of North Carolina, fled from the golf course, but was quickly captured by authorities after a witness shared a photo of his vehicle.

Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe is in West Palm Beach today meeting with local law enforcement and members of the Secret Service following a second assassination attempt against former President Trump.

Secret Service Chief Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirmed Rowe's presence in a statement to Fox News on Sunday. Rowe will conduct a walkthrough of the site of the shooting later Monday.

Rowe joined the Secret Service in 1999, prior to which he served as a police officer in West Palm Beach.

Trump was declared safe shortly after Sunday's incident, where suspected gunman Ryan Wesley Routh was found lying in wait in bushes just one hole away from the former president. Secret Service agents opened fire on him before he could act. He fled, but was soon apprehended thanks to a witness who photographed his escape vehicle, a black Nissan.

Fox News' David Spunt contributed to this report

Florida authorities say an unknown witness took a photo of the suspected Trump gunman's car after he saw Ryan Welsey Routh flee out of bushes on Sunday.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw delivered a press conference alongside FBI and other law enforcement shortly after the incident Sunday.

"We were able to locate a witness who came to us and said, 'Hey, I saw the guy running out of the bushes. He jumped into a black Nissan," Bradshaw said. He added that the witness took a photo of the vehicle, including its "tag."

The vehicle was later found on I-95 heading toward Martin County. The Martin County's Sheriff's Office then stopped the vehicle and detained Routh.

Police later discovered an AK-47 in the bushes near where Trump was playing golf. It had a scope, and two backpacks were discovered next to it, along with a GoPro.

The son of Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspected gunman in a second assassination attempt on former President Trump, says his father hated Trump but argued he was not a violent person.

Oran Routh told the Daily Mail that his father disliked Trump "as every reasonable person does," adding that he himself was not a fan. He reportedly expressed disbelief that his father could resort to violence and target the former president, however.

"He's my dad and all he's had is couple traffic tickets, as far as I know," the son said. "That's crazy. I know my dad and love my dad, but that's nothing like him."

"He said he was at the beach, but I thought that meant the outer banks in Hawaii," he said. "I didn't ask him for more information because we've had a falling out. We've grown apart."

Routh has been living in Hawaii with his longtime girlfriend for multiple years, the Mail reported.

"He's not a violent person," Oran added. "He's a hard worker and a great dad. He's a great dude, a nice guy and has worked his whole f**king life."

Authorities said Routh allegedly shoved the muzzle of his rifle through a chain-linked fence about 300 to 500 yards away from Trump while the former president was playing golf.

Routh fled the scene and was quickly apprehended.

Trump was rushed to safety shortly after Secret Service agents fired on Rout. The gunman was lying in wait just one hole away from the former president when he was discovered.

President Biden on Sunday condemned “political violence” following the second assassination attempt on former President Trump earlier in the day.

The Democratic president said he had been briefed on the incident and the federal investigation into the matter.

“A suspect is in custody, and I commend the work of the Secret Service and their law enforcement partners for their vigilance and their efforts to keep the former President and those around him safe,” Biden said in a statement, adding that he was “relieved” the Republican presidential candidate was “unharmed.”

“There is an active investigation into this incident as law enforcement gathers more details about what happened,” Biden said. “As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country, and I have directed my team to continue to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President’s continued safety.”