On Sunday September 15, near 2pm local time at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach Florida, the former US President Donald Trump became the subject of a second assassination attempt after surviving an assassination attempt two months ago which led to a bullet grazing his ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is said to be investigating “what appears to be an attempted assassination” of Trump after the Secret Service fired four rounds of gunshots at a suspect as an agent noticed a gun barrel in some bushes on the edge of the golf course.

The golf course was immediately locked down and the Republican leader who had been playing a round of golf with his friend and Republican donor Steve Witkoff was led to safety. He later returned to his Mar-a-Lago residence which is 4 miles (6.5km) away.Trump had been about 400-500 yards (366-457 metres) from the attacker according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw who also stated that the suspect who fled in a black Nissan SUV and its licence plate was photographed by a witness and the gunman was shortly arrested by police after driving northbound on the I-95 highway, some 46 miles from the golf course.At the scene was discovered a firearm scope, an assault rifle, two backpacks containing ceramic tiles and a HD GoPro camera.

US media and other outlets identified the suspect as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58 who had lived in North Carolina and moved in 2018 to Kaaawa, Hawaii.

Routh has appeared before a court in Florida and is charged with federal gun crimes pertaining to possessing a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obstructed serial number.He is believed to be a Pro-Ukraine activist who according to The New York Times wrote on X after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022:

“I AM WILLING TO FLY TO KRAKOW AND GO TO THE BORDER OF UKRAINE TO VOLUNTEER AND FIGHT AND DIE”.

On his WhatsApp profile it stated:

“Each one of us must do our part daily in the smallest steps [to] help support human rights, freedom and democracy; we each must help the chinese”.

His social media posts show that he once supported Trump and voted for the former president in the 2016 election, having written in July 2020 on Twitter, now X:

“While you were my choice in 2106 [sic], I and the world hoped that president Trump would be different and better than the candidate”.

Additionally:

“But we all were greatly disappointment and it seems you are getting worse and devolving. I will be glad when you gone.”

The suspect’s son Oran Routh is said to be shocked by the news that his father attempted assassination of the former president.Speaking to CNN he commented:

“Ryan is my father, and I don’t have any comment beyond a character profile of him as a loving and caring father, and honest, hardworking man.“I don’t know what’s happened in Florida, and I hope things have just been blown out of proportion, because from the little I’ve heard, it doesn’t sound like the man I know to do anything crazy, much less violent”.

He added that:

“He’s a good father, and a great man, and I hope you can portray him in an honest light.”

Donald Trump has placed the blame for the attempted assassination on the Biden-Harris “rhetoric.”

“Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country, and they are the ones that are destroying the country - both from the inside and out.”

President Biden who was thankful that Trump was “OK” commented on Monday to reporters outside the White House:

“One thing I want to make clear . . . the Secret Service needs more help”.

A statement by Vice President Harris stated:

“I am deeply disturbed by the possible assassination attempt of former President Trump today. As we gather the facts, I will be clear: I condemn political violence. We all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence.

I am thankful that former President Trump is safe. I commend the U.S. Secret Service and law enforcement partners for their vigilance. As President Biden said, our Administration will ensure the Secret Service has every resource, capability, and protective measure necessary to carry out its critical mission.”

Ukraine's President Zelenskyy commented on X:

“I am glad to hear that @realDonaldTrump is safe and unharmed. My best wishes to him and his family. It’s good that the suspect in the assassination attempt was apprehended quickly. This is our principle: the rule of law is paramount and political violence has no place anywhere in the world. We sincerely hope that everyone remains safe.”

Elon Musk was under fire once more after writing in a now-deleted post on X:

“And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala 🤔”.

The billionaire faced instant backlash from X users as one commented:

“I would reconsider this post. S***’s getting out of hand. We need to unite”.

Also a former federal prosecutor Elizabeth de la Vega expressed:

“In all seriousness, as a former federal prosecutor, I can tell you that a statement like Elon Musk’s below DOES require an immediate visit by the U.S. Secret Service. That is the protocol in every similar situation.”

In statement by White House spokesperson, Andrew Bates said:

“Violence should only be condemned, never encouraged or joked about.”

Trump has recently received backlash over comments made at the first presidential debate with Kamala Harris regarding false claims that Haitian immigrants are eating the pets of people living in Springfield, Ohio.