On Sunday, September 15, 2024, former President Donald Trump was the target of an assassination attempt for the second time this year. Trump had been playing golf at his club in West Palm Beach Florida when Secret Service agents spotted a gunman with an AK-style rifle hiding about 400 yards away in shrubbery.
The gunman, 58-year-old Ryan Routh, had been camped outside the golf course for nearly 12 hours before the agents noticed the rifle barrel sticking out of the bushes. A Secret Service agent quickly fired at Routh causing him to flee and leave behind his two backpacks and a GoPro that he was planning to record the assassination with. Law enforcement apprehended him a county away shortly after the attempted assassination.
The FBI has taken charge of the investigation with support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). The motive behind the attack is still under investigation.
Routh’s background raised some concerns and questions about his reasoning for the assassination. He had previously shown support for Trump in 2016 but shifted his opinions to mocking the former president. Authorities are still investigating his motives, but there are no ties to extremism at this point. Routh’s unusual background complicates the narrative – he had reportedly tried to recruit Afghan soldiers to fight in Ukraine for several months in 2022.
Additionally, a letter written by Routh was uncovered during the investigation, where he openly admitted to this being an assassination attempt. “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job, and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job.” The letter continued to criticize Trump’s foreign policy, particularly his relations with Iran. This letter suggests Routh’s motivations were deeply personal and politically charged; this letter has become critical to the ongoing investigation.
Trump reassured his supporters after the first assassination attempt – at his rally in Pennsylvania – through his campaign, saying, “I am safe and well; nothing will slow me down.” However, on Monday, Trump pivoted to the politics surrounding the incident, claiming without evidence that comments made by President Biden and Vice President Harris had inspired the assassination attempt. In an interview with Fox News, Trump stated, “Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at.” He continued on his social media platform, Truth Social, saying, “The left has taken politics in our country to a whole new level of hatred and abuse and distrust,” and warned, “It will only get worse,” before shifting the conversation to immigration.
Both President Biden and Vice President Harris condemned the surge of political violence, calling for unity during this campaign season. Trump, meanwhile, is continuing his 2024 presidential campaign with increased security in place.
