Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has responded to the latest assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Reports surfaced regarding a second attempt on Trump’s life on Sunday, September 15, 2024.
Trump was reported safe and unharmed after U.S. Secret Service agents fired shots at a man wielding an assault rifle approximately 400 yards away from Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
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The suspect was later identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, a white man whose past social media posts indicated he once supported Trump but grew disillusioned during Trump’s term in office.
Unlike the incident at a Trump rally in Western Pennsylvania in July, no shots were fired directly at the former president. Secret Service agents were able to swiftly secure Trump’s safety.
“Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said U.S. Secret Service agents fired at a man pointing an AK-style rifle with a scope as Trump was on the course,” the Associated Press reported. “Bradshaw said the gunman also had two backpacks hanging on a fence and a GoPro camera, and was about 400 to 500 yards away from Trump, hiding in shrubbery while Trump played golf on a nearby hole. The person dropped the weapon and fled in an SUV before being taken into custody in a neighboring county.”
Following the incident, Harris expressed relief in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating she was glad the former president was unharmed.
“I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe,” she wrote. “Violence has no place in America.”
I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) September 15, 2024
In a separate statement, the White House said it was “relieved” that Trump was unharmed.
This latest attempt occurred less than a week after a heated presidential debate between Trump and Harris, during which Harris sharply criticized Trump on issues such as race, healthcare, immigration, and rally sizes.
The incident also comes just over two months after Trump survived a previous assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. In that case, a suspect fired an assault rifle and grazed Trump’s ear before being shot and killed by Secret Service agents, a response that faced some public criticism.
The FBI has stated that they are investigating the latest incident.
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