A second assassination attempt was made on former president Donald Trump’s life while he was golfing on his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was not injured, and the suspect was apprehended by a Secret Service agent just outside the course. The suspect, Ryan Routh, had been camping outside the course for around 12 hours prior, and he was found in the bushes surrounding the property with food and an AK-style rifle. 

Trump had been golfing on the Palm Beach course for the afternoon when a Secret Service agent spotted a rifle barrel poking from a bush around 400 yards from Trump. The agent opened fire and Routh fled, leaving behind the gun, a scope, and a GoPro camera. He escaped in an SUV and was caught by police in the neighboring county. 

Trump was secured in seconds following the first shots, even though he was out of harm’s way. Republicans continue to insist upon higher security detail for the former president, and Democrats have been open to giving more resources to the Secret Service in the upcoming annual federal budget. In the meantime, more federal resources have been allocated to Trump’s protection, and he has requested a full briefing from acting Secret Service director Robert Rowe.

The suspect had previous illegal weapon charges, and had shown support for Trump’s reelection campaign in 2020. However, he seems to be highly interested in the Ukraine War, going to the country to advocate for the admission of foreign fighters and protesting for Ukraine’s support in public earlier this year. Current evidence suggests he was against Trump’s position of lessening US aid to Ukraine, and this may have been the motive for the attempt.

Trump’s security level has been raised to the highest possible by the Secret Service, with multiple teams now managing security operations on his Manhattan residence, Mar-a-lago, and the former president himself. His protections almost match the current president’s, highlighting the level of political anger in the upcoming presidential race. 

The level of political violence has been rising in the US. This incident is part of a larger escalation pockmarked by others such as the previous assassination attempt, the January 6th riot, and the BLM riots of 2020. Both sides accuse each other of being the agitator in this rise, with voices at the top of each party calling for the other to tone down their rhetoric. 

President Biden and Vice President Harris have issued statements of empathy for Trump, Biden stating the Secret Service “needs more help”, and Harris putting out a press statement saying “Violence has no place in America.” 

Vice President candidates Tim Walz and JD Vance have also put out similar statements, though Vance was more accusatory in citing the left as the source of the violence, targeting their rhetoric as inflammatory. 

The greater trend of political violence across the country has been worrying, and political polarization continues to grow. In the South Lakes community, we interact with people all across the political spectrum, and if we fall to violence to express our views, we lose a core tenet of our society in our political tolerance.