Trump’s golf session ‘minutes away from turning into a historic catastrophe’

Sunday was to be a sorely needed day of rest for Donald Trump.

The former president had just returned to Mar-a-Lago after a breathless couple of weeks that included a bruising presidential debate against Democrat opponent Kamala Harris and a taxing tour of the West Coast to drum up support ahead of November’s election. 

On Monday he was set to get right back to work, announcing on social media that he would be delivering remarks at the launch event for a new crypto platform before jumping back on the campaign trail.

But with a precious slice of spare time yesterday, the 78-year-old decided to indulge in round of a golf at his own personal course, Trump International in West Palm Beach. 

His day off was ruined after just five holes when a member of his Secret Service detail spotted the muzzle of a rifle sticking out of a fence in bushes just a few hundred yards away and opened fire.

The would-be shooter, identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, fled the scene under fire before he could even get a shot off.

But for the second time in just over two months, someone had come dangerously close to killing the 45th president of the United States. 

Now, with the debate raging over the level of protection Trump is given just weeks away from what is set to be a hotly contested election, here’s how yesterday’s chaos unfolded.

Sunday, September 15, 1.30pm

The West Palm Beach Police Department was notified of shots fired by the Secret Service after spotting the shooter in the bushes at Trump International Golf Club in Mar-a-Lago, West Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said. 

At the time, the would-be shooter was about 300-500 yards from the Republican presidential candidate who was playing golf between holes five and six.

The agent who spotted the rifle was part of a team that stays a hole or two ahead of Trump on the course, Bradshaw said.

A Secret Service agent spotted a rifle barrel with a scope sticking out through a fence on the golf course and ‘immediately engaged’ with the shooter, according to Bradshaw. 

The former president was rushed to safety while the suspect fled the scene in a black Nissan SUV parked a short distance away from his hideout. 

 1:40pm-2.00pm 

The 45th President’s campaign communications director Steven Cheug said: ‘President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity. No further details at this time.’

Trump soon issued a defiant statement promising to ‘never surrender.’

‘There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I am safe and well,’ he wrote in an alert sent out by his team.

‘Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!’ the candidate continued, months after surviving a separate attempt on his life that saw him shot in the ear in Butler, Pennsylvania. 

‘I will always love you for supporting me. Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again. 

‘May God bless you,’ he wrote. 

Meanwhile, a witness reported the suspect fled in the Nissan, quoting a license plate number. 

Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder said a ‘very urgent be-on-the-lookout (BOLO)’ alert was put out to all law enforcement in the area and police quickly identified the suspect’s car heading northbound for the I-95.

The suspect was apprehended on the I-95 roughly 45 miles from the scene shortly after 2pm after dozens of police cars gave chase, aided by a helicopter. 

 3.49pm

Vice President Kamal Harris broke her silence on the alleged assassination attempt and said she was relieved no-one was hurt. 

‘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 on X, formerly Twitter.

‘Violence has no place in America.’

The White House also issued a statement and said that both President Joe Biden and Harris were informed bout the security incident. 

‘The President and Vice President have been briefed about the security incident at the Trump International Golf Course, where former President Trump was golfing,’ according to the White House.

‘They are relieved to know that he is safe. They will be kept regularly updated by their team.’

4.29pm- 4.32pm 

The suspect is taken into custody after being held at the side of the road at gunpoint by law enforcement officers. 

He showed little emotion and remained calm when he was taken into custody. 

Sheriff Synder said: ‘He never asked, ”what is this about?” Obviously, law enforcement with long rifles, blue lights, a lot going on. He never questioned it.’ 

Daniel Rodriguez, who was driving back from Orlando with his family from a soccer match on I-95 recounted the ‘wild scene’ when sheriff’s deputies pulled Routh over. 

‘We saw multiple officers starting to speed up behind us,’ Rodriguez said. 

‘We saw a black Nissan speed up and merge in and out of traffic. We saw a helicopter flying in the air and many more police starting to appear. Then, a state trooper pulled over and stopped the traffic lane.’ 

4.42pm 

The FBI announced that agents were investigating ‘what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump.’ 

At the same time, Trump arrived back to his home in Mar-a-Lago, according to a source familiar with the incident. 

5.17pm-5.18pm

Bradshaw holds a press conference and tells the media that Trump’s golf course is surrounded by shrubbery, making it hard to see people hidden within. 

He added that the gunman abandoned a rifle with a scope, a GoPro camera and two backpacks hanging from a fence at his hideout along the side of the golf course.

The backpacks contained ceramic tiles to stop bullets.

The suspect’s belongings were being processed, Bradshaw added, before revealing the Secret Service agent who saw the suspect fired four to six rounds before the suspect fled the scene. 

The suspect was not believed to have fired a single shot.  

Images of the would-be shooter’s vehicle were given to law enforcement by a witness. 

5.24pm

Dave Aronberg, a state attorney for Palm Beach County, said prosecutors were working on a warrant and pretrial detention applications.

‘Our filing of the warrant and charges at the state level does not preclude the federal charges that could be coming.

‘But in the meantime, it looks like the warrants and a pretrial detention motion will happen first,’ Aronberg said. 

5.30pm

Trump’s running mate JD Vance said the former president was in ‘good spirits’ following the incident. 

‘I’m glad President Trump is safe. I spoke to him before the news was public and he was, amazingly, in good spirits.  

‘Still much we don’t know, but I’ll be hugging my kids extra tight tonight and saying a prayer of gratitude,’ Vance wrote. 

5.40pm

Bradshaw announced that law enforcement would have lined the golf course during the suspect attempt if Trump was the sitting president. 

Because he is not, ‘security is limited to the areas that the areas that the Secret Service deems possible.’ 

‘I would imagine that the next time he comes to the golf course, there will probably be a little more people around the perimeter. 

‘But the Secret Service did exactly what they should have done, they provided exactly what the protection should have been and their agent did a fantastic job,’ Bradshaw said. 

Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a social media post that the agency is working closely with the FBI, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement to investigate what happened. 

6.03pm 

Law enforcement officials announced the suspect had been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, a resident of Hawaii and a registered Democrat.

Routh lived in North Carolina for most of his life before moving to Kaaawa in 2018, according to the Associated Press. 

In Hawaii, he and his son appeared to operate a company building sheds, according to an archived version of the webpage for the business. 

Fifteen minutes later, Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz said on X that he is glad Trump is ‘safe.’

‘Gwen and I are glad to hear that Donald Trump is safe. Violence has no place in our country. It’s not who we are as a nation.’

6.33pm 

Congresswoman Elise Stefink issued a statement following the attack. 

‘I am grateful to hear that President Trump is safe following today’s reported assassination attempt in Florida. 

‘I join in thanks for our hardworking law enforcement officers working to keep President Trump, his family, and his team safe,’ Stefink wrote. 

She then questioned ‘how an assassin was allowed to get this close to President Trump again’. 

Stefink also referred to the July assassination attempt and said: ‘There continues to be a lack of answers for the horrific assassination attempt in Pennsylvania and we expect there to be a clear explanation of what happened today in Florida.’ 

‘As Americans we must unite behind him in November to protect our republic and bring peace back to the world.’ 

The leaders of the bipartisan task force that has been investigating the security failures amid the assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania said they were monitoring the situation and had requested a briefing from the Secret Service.

‘We are thankful that the former President was not harmed, but remain deeply concerned about political violence and condemn it in all of its forms,’ said Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo..

7.24pm  

Trump campaign leaders credited the Secret Service for swiftly protecting Trump Sunday. 

Senior campaign advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles wrote in an email to staff: ‘Today, for the second time in two months, an evil monster attempted to take the life of President Trump.

‘Thankfully, no one was injured at the Golf Course. President Trump and everyone accompanying him are safe thanks to the great work of the United States Secret Service,’ they said. 

8.31pm

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the state ‘will be conducting its own investigation’ into the assassination attempt. 

‘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 nominee,’ DeSantis said on X. 

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna echoed that message. ‘Two assassination attempts in 60 days on a former President & the Republican nominee is unacceptable,’ he wrote. 

‘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.’

8.50pm 

President Joe Biden said he was briefed on the shooting and ‘there is no place for violence’ in the US. 

‘I have been briefed by my team regarding what federal law enforcement is investigating as a possible assassination attempt of former President Trump today. 

‘A suspect is in custody, and I commend the work of the Secret Service and their law enforcement partners for their vigilance and their efforts to keep the former President and those around him safe.

‘I am relieved that the former President is unharmed. There is an active investigation into this incident as law enforcement gathers more details about what happened.

‘As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country, and I have directed my team to continue to ensure that the Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President’s continued safety,’ Biden said. 

9.04pm 

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Trump is ‘unstoppable’ after spending time with him after the incident. 

Though he was not on the course with the former president during the time, Johnson had a meeting scheduled with him at Mar-a-Lago afterwards. 

‘Kelly and I are departing Mar-a-Lago, where we just spent a few hours with President Trump and are thanking God for protecting him today—once again.

‘No leader in American history has endured more attacks and remained so strong and resilient. He is unstoppable,’ Johnson wrote. 

11:36pm

Late Sunday, Trump posted a message on social media thanking the Secret Service and law enforcement for keeping him safe, calling them ‘brave and dedicated Patriots,’ adding that it was ‘certainly an interesting day!’

He was to be briefed in person Monday by acting Secret Service director Ronald Rowe about the investigation into the assassination attempt, according to a person familiar with the plan for the briefing who was not authorised to speak publicly.