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September 16, 2024 08:05:00 AM |
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September 16, 2024 08:05:00 AM |
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A second apparent assassination on former President Donald Trump — this time as he played golf in Florida — has rocked a presidential campaign already marred by unprecedented violence and raised questions about how such a thing could have happened for the second time in as many months.
Welcome to this week’s edition of AP Ground Game.
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Sheriff vehicles are pictured near Trump International Golf Club, Sunday. Sept. 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla., after gunshots were reported in the vicinity of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Stephany Matat) |
New questions on how another apparent assassination attempt could have happened |
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U.S. Secret Service agents opened fire Sunday afternoon on a man who was spotted pointing an AK-style rifle through a fence while hiding in the bushes as Trump golfed at his club in West Palm Beach, Florida. The FBI described the incident as an apparent attempted assassination on the GOP nominee.
The incident — just two months after a deadly shooting at a Pennsylvania rally — raised immediate questions about how Trump could have been left vulnerable to yet another attack. In July, he was grazed in the ear by a bullet when a gunman gained access to an unsecured roof, unleashing a hail of bullets that left one of Trump's supporters dead and two others badly injured.
While the Secret Service has grappled with how to keep Trump safe as he campaigns, less attention has focused on his protection when he is off the trail, often at his own properties. Law enforcement has long known that there are places along the property's perimeter where golfers are visible to those standing behind the fence. Read more.
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Of note:
While Trump’s plans to golf Sunday were not part of any public schedule, on days he is not campaigning, he can often be found golfing at one of his courses. Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach, about a 10-minute drive from his Mar-a-Lago residence, is a favorite.
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Trump was the subject of an apparent assassination attempt at his Florida golf club, the FBI says
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Where have candidates been campaigning? Check out AP’s interactive tracker
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5 things to know about the apparent assassination attempt |
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Law enforcement officials said the man who pointed the rifle and was arrested is Ryan Wesley Routh. The officials identified the suspect to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.
Records show Routh, 58, lived in North Carolina for most of his life before moving in 2018 to Kaaawa, Hawaii, where he and his son operated a company building sheds, according to an archived version of the webpage for the business.
In June 2020, Routh made a post on X asking then-President Trump to win reelection by issuing an executive order directing the Department of Justice to prosecute police misconduct. However, in recent years, his posts suggest he soured on Trump, and he expressed support for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Read more.
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Of note:
Records show that while living in Greensboro, North Carolina, Routh had multiple run-ins with law enforcement. He was convicted in 2002 of possessing a weapon of mass destruction, according to online North Carolina Department of Adult Correction records.
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Trump refuses to criticize Laura Loomer amid concerns from Republican allies about her influence
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Haitians in Ohio find solidarity at church after chaotic week of false pet-eating claims
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RFK angling to be campaign asset to former rival Trump |
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Three weeks after dropping his independent presidential campaign, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has become a ubiquitous campaigner for Trump, urging his own loyal followers to cast their lot with the former president who said he'd give Kennedy a job if he returns to the White House.
The Kennedy-Trump alliance gives Trump an endorsement from the well-known scion of a Democratic dynasty and the chance to present his campaign as having bipartisan appeal. Even a small number of Democrats moving to Trump's side due to Kennedy's endorsement could be critical in states like Arizona, which Biden won in 2020 by fewer than 11,000 votes.
Trump’s path back to the White House relies in part on voters who don’t trust institutions like government, corporations and the mainstream media, a group that can be hard to reach, win over and motivate to vote. Kennedy has unique pull with those voters, who tend to get news and information from podcasts and YouTube videos. Read more.
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Of note:
Harris has her own coalition of strange bedfellows, including a son of former Republican presidential candidate John McCain and prominent members of former President George W. Bush’s administration, including former Vice President Dick Cheney.
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Venture capitalists are divided on Harris or Trump
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Democrats put up $25 million to expand direct voter contact in fierce fight for Senate majority
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President Joe Biden, left, with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, on stage at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Phoenix Awards Dinner in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) |
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Harris meets with Teamsters leadership in Washington on Monday and the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia on Tuesday. She attends the the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s Leadership Conference in Washington on Wednesday and on Thursday participates in a livestream with Oprah Winfrey in Detroit. On Friday, Harris stumps in Wisconsin.
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Trump participates Monday in the launch of a cryptocurrency exchange from his home in Florida. On Tuesday, he plans a town hall in Flint, Michigan, and then a rally on Wednesday in Uniondale, New York. Later in the week, Trump speaks at the Israeli American Council’s conference in Washington before a Saturday rally in Wilmington, North Carolina.
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Ohio Sen. JD Vance headlines a Faith & Freedom Coalition dinner in Atlanta on Monday, gives remarks in Sparta, Michigan, and Eau Claire, Wisconsin on Tuesday, and holds a rally on Wednesday in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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It was almost time for the presidential debate, but Harris’ staff thought there was one more thing she needed to know. Read more.
Vance did not back away Sunday from false claims he and Trump have been making that Haitians in an Ohio community are abducting and eating pets, even as the state’s GOP governor and other officials insist there is no evidence of such behavior. Read more.
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Pointed Pennsylvania: McCormick’s hedge fund days are a double-edged sword in Senate race
Minnesota machination: Election officials make changes to automatic voter registration system after issues arise
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