Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump recounted an alleged assassination attempt on a golf course in an interview on the social media platform X.
“So I was playing golf with some of my friends. It was on a Sunday morning and very peaceful, very beautiful weather. Everything was beautiful. It was a nice place to be. And all of a sudden we heard shots being fired in the air and I guess probably 4 or 5,” Trump said during the audio interview.
He added that it was a secret service agent who first spotted the suspect.
“A secret service agent had seen a barrel of a AK-47, which is a very powerful gun rifle. And he started shooting at the barrel and started shooting in the bushes.”
“I would have loved to have sank that last putt, but we decided, let’s get out of here,” former US president said.
Trump praised the agents and a vigilant civilian for helping track down the suspect, who was caught after a high-speed chase.
Suspect faces two federal gun charges
The FBI accusses Ryan Wesley Routh of targeting Trump at his golf club in West Palm Beach in Florida.
An FBI document revealed that the suspect had hidden among the hedges of the golf club for 12 hours. Authorities discovered an SKS-style assault rifle, a GoPro, and a bag of food at the location.
The 58-year-old now faces two federal gun charges, which if convincted for both, could lead to a combined 20 years in prison.
Neither of the charges are related to an assassination attempt.
The first charge of possessing a firearm despite a prior felony conviction carries a possible 15-year sentence, a $250,000 (€225,000) fine and three years of supervised release.
A second charge of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number carries a possible five-year prison sentence, the same fine, and also three years supervised release. Additional charges are possible as the investigation continues.
The motive so far remains unclear but the suspect’s digital footprint suggests he had strong political viewpoints, including on Ukraine and China.
Routh repeatedly shared his support for Ukraine on various social media platforms. He allegedly claimed to have run a recruitment scheme for international volunteers to fight for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.
Ukrainian soldiers and members of the International Legion denounced Routh’s actions.
