Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Sunday that the state will launch its own investigation into how an armed gunman was able to get within 500 yards of former President Donald Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.
This marks the second attempt on Trump’s life in just over two months.
The incident unfolded as Trump was playing golf when Secret Service agents opened fire on 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, who was allegedly armed with a rifle.
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According to authorities, Routh was seen pushing the muzzle of his AK-47 rifle through a chain-link fence, about 300 to 500 yards away from Trump.
Routh was also carrying two backpacks and had a GoPro camera, which officials believe he intended to use to record the planned attack.
The Secret Service fired at Routh after noticing him raising the weapon. He fled the scene in a black Nissan but was quickly apprehended by law enforcement. Trump, who was on the fifth hole at the time, was immediately escorted by his security detail to the clubhouse. He was not harmed in the incident.
@GovRonDeSantis
Please assume direct control of the investigation into this attempted assassination of DJT. Tell the Feds to wait in line until Florida resources have done a thorough and transparent look into all the evidence. The Feds have dropped the ball thoroughly on…— ErikDPrince (@realErikDPrince) September 15, 2024
Governor DeSantis addressed the situation in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “The people deserve the truth about the would-be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee.” DeSantis emphasized the need for a thorough investigation to understand how such a serious breach of security occurred.
The State of Florida will be conducting its own investigation regarding the attempted assassination at Trump International Golf Club.
The people deserve the truth about the would be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP…
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) September 16, 2024
The incident has raised questions about how the gunman was able to get so close to Trump, especially in light of a previous assassination attempt in July. On July 13, a gunman named Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, from a rooftop about 150 yards away. One of Crooks’ shots grazed Trump’s ear, narrowly avoiding a fatal injury.
Investigations into how Crooks gained access to that rooftop are ongoing, with bipartisan lawmakers, including Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), calling for a briefing with the Secret Service.
In Sunday’s incident, former FBI assistant director Chris Swecker told Newsweek that authorities are probing how Routh seemed to know Trump would be at the golf course at that specific time.
“The biggest question to answer is: ‘How did the would-be assassin know to be at that location at that time?’” Swecker said.
He added that there are three possible explanations: either Routh guessed, conducted surveillance, or had inside information on Trump’s schedule. “The last answer is scary and has implications that another person was involved,” Swecker said.
Routh, a Hawaii resident, has a history of anti-Trump rhetoric on social media, according to investigators. His posts included criticisms of Trump as a threat to democracy.
Routh’s background also includes bizarre behavior, such as traveling to Ukraine to recruit Afghan fighters, and a 2002 conviction for possessing a weapon of mass destruction after a standoff with police.
The FBI is now leading the investigation to determine Routh’s motives and whether he acted alone.
Despite the increase in security since the July assassination attempt, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw acknowledged that Trump’s protection was lighter than it would have been if he were still a sitting president. “The entire golf course would have been lined with law enforcement if Trump were the current president,” Bradshaw said.
He commended the Secret Service’s quick action, saying, “The Secret Service did exactly what they should have done.”
Swecker also weighed in on Routh’s profile, describing him as a “wing nut” with a history of resistance to authority. He pointed to Routh’s criminal record, which includes a standoff with law enforcement in 2002 and repeated legal issues over the years.
As investigations continue, both federal and state authorities will seek to answer how Routh was able to get so close to Trump and whether any security lapses contributed to the incident.
How does someone who’s from North Carolina and lives in Hawaii know where to be in Florida, at the exact location, at the exact golf course, where Trump made a last minute decision to play golf?
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) September 16, 2024
With a second assassination attempt in just over two months, security for the former president is likely to be further heightened in the future.
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