On Sept. 15, a gunman was spotted while Trump was golfing at his West Palm Beach golf course. Secret Service agents fired at the suspect, and the former president was quickly escorted to safety. The shooter, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, was arrested after fleeing the scene.
The FBI, the Secret Service, Florida, and Congress are all investigating the attempt.
FBI investigation
The FBI was quick to announce that Trump was the target of an assassination attempt after some initial uncertainty.
“The FBI has responded to West Palm Beach Florida and is investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump,” it said in a statement.
The bureau is leading the first investigation into the matter, according to the Associated Press.
Secret Service investigation
Secret Service agents fired on the suspect and leaped on Trump to shield him, but it is unclear how the shooter was allowed to get so close to the former president. Law enforcement officers said the shooter was roughly 300 to 500 yards away from the former president when agents spotted the weapon.
As with the Butler rally shooting, the Secret Service is investigating its own conduct.
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe is closely involved in the investigation and will reportedly brief Trump on the incident soon.
Trump praised the conduct of the Secret Service agents, calling them “brave and dedicated Patriots.”
The incident has raised questions about the level of Secret Service protection received by Trump. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw explained how the level of protection afforded to Trump would be different if he were the sitting president, saying the entire course would have been surrounded by security rather than the smaller team dedicated to his protection.
“Security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible,” he said.
Florida investigation
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced an independent Florida investigation into the shooting on Sunday night.
“The State of Florida will be conducting its own investigation regarding the attempted assassination at Trump International Golf Club,” he wrote in a post on X. “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.”
Congress investigation
The congressional task force investigating the July assassination attempt is expanding its investigation into Sunday’s attempt.
Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), who leads the task force, and ranking member Jason Crow (D-CO) requested a briefing from the Secret Service.
“The Task Force is monitoring this attempted assassination of former President Trump in West Palm Beach this afternoon. We have requested a briefing with the U.S. Secret Service about what happened and how security responded,” they said in a joint statement.
Kelly is looking to speak with the FBI and local law enforcement, he told NOTUS.
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Other members of Congress are requesting that the Secret Service testify before Congress.
Two assassination attempts in 60 days on a former President & the Republican nominee is unacceptable. 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.
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) September 16, 2024
“Two assassination attempts in 60 days on a former President & the Republican nominee is unacceptable,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) said. “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.”
