Trump was the subject of an apparent assassination attempt at his Florida golf club, the FBI says

Alanna Durkin Richer, Colleen Long, Michael Balsamo and Zeke Miller, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI said Sunday it was investigating “what appears to beryllium an attempted assassination” of Donald Trump astatine his play nine successful West Palm Beach, Florida, conscionable 9 weeks aft nan Republican statesmanlike nominee survived different effort connected his life. Trump said he was safe and well.

The U.S. Secret Service opened occurrence astatine a man pointing an AK-style firearm into nan nine arsenic Trump was connected nan course, 3 rule enforcement officials said. The personification dropped nan limb and fled successful an SUV, and was later taken into custody successful a neighboring county. The officials were not authorized to talk nan ongoing investigation and said to The Associated Press connected information of anonymity.

An AK-style firearm was recovered astatine nan segment adjacent Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach, 2 of nan officials said. And nary injuries were reported.

The incident was nan latest jarring infinitesimal successful a run twelvemonth marked by unprecedented upheaval. It occurred astir 2 months aft Trump was changeable during an assassination effort astatine a rally successful Pennsylvania, and a slug grazed his ear. Only a week later, President Joe Biden withdrew from nan race.

In an email to supporters, Trump said: “There were gunshots successful my vicinity, but earlier rumors commencement spiraling retired of control, I wanted you to perceive this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!”

“Nothing will slow maine down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!” nan erstwhile president said.

The play people was partially unopen down for Trump arsenic he played, and agents were a fewer holes up of him erstwhile they noticed nan personification pinch nan firearm, nan officials said. There are respective areas astir nan perimeter of nan spot wherever golfers are visible from nan obstruction line. Secret Service agents and officers successful play carts and connected ATVs mostly unafraid nan area respective holes up and down Trump erstwhile he golfs. Agents besides usually bring an armored conveyance onto nan people to quickly shelter Trump should a threat arise.

Trump had returned to Florida this play from a West Coast plaything that included a Friday nighttime rally successful Las Vegas and a Utah fundraiser. His run had not advised Trump’s plans for Sunday. He often spends nan greeting playing golf, earlier having luncheon astatine nan club, 1 of 3 he owns successful nan state.

The erstwhile president has had a stepped-up information footprint since nan assassination effort successful July. When he has been astatine Trump Tower successful New York, a lineup of dump trucks person parked successful a wall extracurricular nan building. And astatine outdoor rallies, he now speaks from down an enclosure of bulletproof glass.

Trump was returned safely aft nan incident to his backstage Mar-a-Lago club, wherever he resides successful neighboring Palm Beach, according to a personification acquainted pinch nan matter.

The White House said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, nan Democratic statesmanlike nominee, had some been briefed and would beryllium kept updated connected nan investigation. The White House added they were “relieved” to cognize Trump is safe.

Harris, successful a connection said she was “glad” Trump was safe, adding that “violence has nary spot successful America.”

In an X post, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C, 1 of Trump’s apical legislature allies, said he had spoken pinch Trump aft nan incident and that Trump was successful “good spirits” and was “one of nan strongest group I’ve ever known.”

Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder said nan fishy was apprehended wrong minutes of nan FBI, Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office putting retired a “very urgent BOLO” — aliases “be connected nan lookout” alert” detailing nan circumstantial conveyance sought, licence sheet number and caretaker description.

Snyder said his deputies “immediately flooded” northbound I-95, deploying to each exit betwixt nan Palm Beach County statement to nan southbound and St. Lucie County statement to nan north.

“One of my roadworthy patrol units saw nan vehicle, matched nan tag and we group up connected nan vehicle,” Snyder said, “We pinched successful connected nan car, sewage it safely stopped and sewage nan driver successful custody.”

Snyder told WPTV that nan fishy “was not equipped erstwhile we took him retired of nan car.”

The man had a calm, level demeanor and showed small emotion erstwhile he was stopped by police, Snyder said, saying nan fishy did not mobility why he was being pulled over.

“He ne'er asked, ‘what is this about?’ Obviously, rule enforcement pinch agelong rifles, bluish lights, a batch going on. He ne'er questioned it,” Snyder said.

Attorney General Merrick Garland has been briefed connected nan business and is receiving regular updates astir it, a Justice Department spokeswoman said.

The station by nan Martin County Sheriff’s Office indicated nan fishy was apprehended adjacent Palm City, Florida, astir a 45-mile thrust northbound of Trump’s play course. Northbound lanes of I-95 were unopen down, nan sheriff’s agency said.

A connection sent to run officials seeking accusation connected nan information position and location of Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s moving mate, was not instantly returned.

Max Egusquiza, of Palm Beach, described nan emergency consequence extracurricular Trump’s West Palm Beach play course.
“From what I saw 5 achromatic unmarked SUVs blocked successful a grey Mercedes successful beforehand of nan play course. There were astir 20 aliases much bull cars flying from adjacent streets,” he said.

Trump is expected to speak astir cryptocurrency unrecorded Monday nighttime connected nan societal media tract X for nan motorboat of his sons’ crypto platform. He’s expected to do that from his Mar-a-Lago edifice successful Florida. The erstwhile president is scheduled to return to nan run way connected Tuesday for a municipality hallway successful Flint, Michigan pinch his erstwhile property secretary, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, followed by a run rally successful New York connected Long Island connected Wednesday.

At nan extremity of nan week, he’s scheduled to be and reside nan Israeli-American Council National Summit successful Washington, D.C. and connected Saturday clasp a rally successful Wilmington, North Carolina.