Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Sunday that the state will launch its own investigation into a recent security breach where an armed individual came dangerously close to former President Donald Trump.
DeSantis stated, “The State of Florida will conduct its own investigation into the attempted assassination at Trump International Golf Club. The public deserves answers about how this individual was able to come within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee.”
The incident occurred at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump was playing a round of golf. Secret Service agents spotted a rifle barrel sticking through a chain-link fence between 300 and 500 yards from the course and responded by firing 2-3 times at the suspected assailant, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh.
According to the FBI, Routh fled the scene in a black Nissan but was quickly captured. Investigators recovered a GoPro camera, two backpacks, ceramic tile, and an AR-style rifle that Routh left behind.
At the time of the incident, Trump was on the fifth hole and was immediately escorted to safety by his Secret Service detail. This marks the second attempt on Trump’s life in two months.
In a previous attack on July 13, during a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Thomas Matthew Crooks fired eight shots from a nearby rooftop, just 150 yards from where Trump was speaking. One of the bullets grazed Trump’s ear, narrowly missing him.
A bipartisan investigation, led by Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Jason Crow (D-CO), is ongoing to determine how Crooks managed to get so close. In light of the latest incident, the two lawmakers issued a joint statement, expressing their relief that Trump was unharmed and condemning all forms of political violence.
