The former president praised the civilian present at the scene who took a photo of the suspect’s license plate, calling it «key» to his arrest.
In an interview with X Spaces — which was supposedly promoting his new cryptocurrency venture World Liberty Financial — Trump said he was playing golf with some of his friends when «all of a sudden we heard gunshots in the air… I guess probably four or five… and they sounded like bullets.»
Trump said the Secret Service agents accompanying him «knew immediately that they were bullets and they grabbed me» and drove him out of the area in golf carts.
The former president said another officer in the field fired the shots he heard after seeing the barrel of a gun in the bushes, adding that the suspect never managed to fire, confirming what law enforcement officials have said.
Trump also praised a civilian who was present at the scene and took a photo of the suspect’s license plate and shared it with law enforcement, calling it «key» to his arrest.
Asked why he believed there was a second attempt on his life, the former president blamed Democrats, saying: «A lot of people think Democrats when they talk about ‘a threat to democracy’ and all this, and it seems like both of those people were radical leftists.».
Crucial quote
Speaking about his phone call with President Joe Biden after Sunday’s incident, Trump said: «He was very nice today. He called me to make sure I was OK… he couldn’t have been nicer.» Biden also asked Trump if he needed more people for his security detail.
Key Background
On Sunday, a Secret Service agent spotted a gun protruding from a fence at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, and fired at the suspect, who fled the scene leaving behind a scoped AK-47-style rifle, two backpacks and a GoPro camera at the scene.
The suspect was quickly arrested in nearby Martin County, with the help of details provided by the witness who photographed his car. The FBI has described the incident as an apparent » assassination attempt on the former president .» The alleged shooter was identified as Ryan Wesley Routh , 58, and has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Routh could still face additional charges in the case.
At a news conference Monday, Ronald Rowe Jr., the acting director of the Secret Service, said Routh did not fire at any agents before he was shot. According to a complaint filed by authorities in court, location data from Routh’s phone showed he waited outside the golf course with his rifle for nearly 12 hours before being spotted.
Tangent
Cryptocurrency influencer Farokh Sarmad conducted the X Spaces interview with Trump, and it was originally scheduled to promote the former president’s new cryptocurrency venture. During the interview, Trump spoke about making the United States a leading player in the cryptocurrency and blockchain sector, warning, «If we don’t do it, China will.»
But the former president left the details of the project, known as World Liberty Financial , to his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump and two little-known cryptocurrency entrepreneurs who lead the project: Chase Herro and Zachary Folkman.
