Live: Suspect held after apparent assassination attempt on Trump at ...

Trump says he 'will never surrender'

17 minutes agoSun 15 Sep 2024 at 11:53pm

What we know so far

2 hours agoSun 15 Sep 2024 at 10:05pm

More pictures from outside the Trump International Golf Club are starting to come through.

It's now around 8pm in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Key Event

17m agoSun 15 Sep 2024 at 11:53pm

In an email to supporters earlier, Donald Trump said "nothing will slow me down", despite the latest apparent attempted effort to assassinate him.

His campaign later posted a statement to its website.

"I am safe and well, and no one was hurt. Thank God!" it says.

"But, there are people in this world who will do whatever it takes to stop us.

"I will never stop fighting for you."

For reminders, Trump was targeted two months ago at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. That assassination attempt ended in the death of one civilian, and the shooter.

By North America bureau chief Jade Macmillan

It was just over two months ago that the United States was shocked and appalled by an attempt on Donald Trump's life at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

The Secret Service faced intense and immediate scrutiny over the failures that allowed a 20-year-old gunman to climb onto a nearby roof and fire at the former president, grazing his ear and killing one of his supporters in the crowd.

Congressional inquiries have since been opened up, security has been boosted, and the former head of the agency has stepped down.

Today's incident did not take place during a campaign stop. Trump was playing golf, at his own course, not far from his Mar-a-Lago residence.

But as a former president, and current candidate, he receives around-the-clock protection.

The agent who'd gone up ahead of him and spotted the suspect's weapon acted quickly, according to authorities.

Trump and those he was with were not harmed, and his team has praised the actions of those on the ground.

But it raises a fresh set of questions about the level of security he's being provided with.

"You got to understand, the golf course is surrounded by shrubbery. So when somebody gets into the shrubbery, they're pretty much out of sight," local sheriff Ric Bradshaw told a media conference.

"And at this level that he is at right now, he's not the sitting president. If he was, we would have had this entire golf course surrounded. But because he's not, security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible."

The Secret Service's acting head, Ronald Rowe, has previously said he was "ashamed" of what happened in Pennsylvania. He's reportedly now on his way to Florida as his agency deals with another suspected attempt on Trump's life. 

Penny Wong has praised US law enforcement for dealing with the situation.

"Political violence has no place in in any society, certainly has no place in a democracy. And this is another dreadful demonstration of the potential of political violence."

Fox News host Sean Hannity, a close Trump friend, said on air that he spoke with both Trump and the former president's golf partner, Steve Witkoff, after the incident.

They told Hannity that they had been on the fifth hole and were about to go to up to putt when they heard a "pop pop, pop pop." Within seconds, he said Witkoff recounted, Secret Service agents "pounced on" Trump and "covered him" to protect him.

In the aftermath, Trump checked in with allies, including his vice presidential nominee, JD Vance, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham and several Fox News hosts.

Reporting by the Associated Press

Majority Leader of the United States Senate Chuck Schumer says "there is no place in this country for violence of any kind."

"It's abundantly clear there are violent people who are willing to do anything to keep President Trump from the White House," Senator Rick Scott of Florida said in a statement posted to X.

Republican  Elise Stefanik of New York, chair of the House Republican Conference, questioned "how an assassin was allowed to get this close to President Trump again" in light of the attempt on his life at a Pennsylvania rally in July.

Laura Loomer was seen near the golf club in West Palm Beach during the police operation following the apparent assassination attempt of Donald Trump.

Ms Loomer is a far-right activist with a history of spreading conspiracies, whose presence on Donald Trump's campaign trail have raised eyebrows in the US.

She was seen travelling on Trump's plane through last week and attended the US presidential debate, and other events with Trump.

Several prominent Republicans, as well as the White House, have condemned her in the past week.

Read more in this piece here:

Trump supporters have been photographed outside Mar-a-Lago in a show of support to the former president.

There have also been several boats spotted patrolling the waters around the property.

Anthony Albanese has spoken briefly to reporters at Parliament House about the incident.

"Everyone wants the democratic process to be peaceful and to be orderly," he says.

"This incident in the United States is of concern again, it is good that President Trump has said that he is safe … that is a good thing." 

ABC North American Bureau Chief Jade Macmillan speaks on the incident from Washington DC.

This map shows Trump International Golf Club, where what the FBI is calling an attempted assassination took place.

It is not far from Trump's residence, Mar-A-Lago Club.

Key Event

1h agoSun 15 Sep 2024 at 10:16pm

The man who authorities say pointed a rifle with a scope into former president Donald Trump’s golf club and was arrested is Ryan Wesley Routh, three law enforcement officials told the Associated Press.

The officials identified the suspect to the AP but spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the ongoing investigation.

By North America correspondent Barbara Miller

Just when it seemed that this unusual campaign had settled into something approaching normality, a possible second attempt on Donald Trump's life has been made.

Until the news broke the news cycle was still dominated by fallout from the Trump-Harris debate.

Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance was on the talk shows defending comments made by himself and Donald Trump  about Haitian migrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.

Donald Trump appeared still to be smarting from Taylor Swift's post-debate endorsement of Kamala Harris, posting, "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!" hours before the shooting unfolded.

The attempt on the former president's life in July led to the resignation of the head of the Secret Service.

Questions will again be asked of the agency.

The good news is that the alleged attacker was spotted before he took a shot, but securing an entire golf course is clearly a challenge even with beefed-up security.

Donald Trump loves to hold rallies and he loves to golf.

The former president also likes to present as a strongman.

There's no image to accompany this incident like the instantly iconic one of a bloodied Trump raising his fist following the Pennsylvania shooting, but he and his supporters will see this latest event as further proof of his omnipotence.

“Nothing will slow me down," he wrote in a fundraising email after the incident.

An indication he's likely to be back on the golf course and campaign stage soon.

Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz has posted on X that he and his wife Gwen are "glad to hear that Donald Trump is safe".

Key Event

2h agoSun 15 Sep 2024 at 10:05pm

Key Event

2h agoSun 15 Sep 2024 at 10:02pm

Photos of an AK-47 rifle, a backpack and a GoPro camera on a fence outside Trump International Golf Club were displayed during the news conference.

In this interview with a local news station, Martin County Sheriff William Snyder describes how officers worked with the FBI and the Secret Service to intercept a vehicle and arrest the suspect.

Multiple police units remain outside the Trump International Golf Course and the public has been urged to avoid the area.

Here are some photos from the scene.

Images: Reuters

Key Event

2h agoSun 15 Sep 2024 at 9:44pm

Vice-President Kamala Harris has issued a statement on X saying she is glad Trump is safe.

Trump's running mate JD Vance tweeted he has spoken with Trump and is glad he is safe.