Former President Donald Trump expressed his wish to meet the woman who alerted authorities to a man accused of attempting to assassinate him. The incident took place on Sunday at his golf course in Florida, where Trump narrowly avoided harm.
Speaking at a town hall event in Flint, Michigan, Trump recounted the events surrounding the foiled attack. He explained how the suspect fled the golf course but was later spotted by a woman driving nearby. "She saw a man running on a busy street and thought he looked suspicious. She decided to follow him," Trump said.
According to Trump, the woman took quick action, parking her car behind the suspect's vehicle and taking photos of the license plate. She sent the images to the local sheriff's office. This led to the arrest of the suspect by Martin County deputies on Interstate 95. Trump praised the woman for her quick thinking, saying, "In a thousand of these incidents, would even one person have acted like this? She did. I want to meet her, and I hope to make that happen."
Vice President Kamala Harris, meanwhile, campaigned in Pennsylvania. She condemned political violence, calling it "unacceptable" and stressed the need for civil dialogue. "Violence has no place in politics," Harris said.
This marks the second time in recent months that Trump has faced potential danger. He recalled hearing gunfire at his golf course and thanked the Secret Service for their quick response in evacuating him. Trump has since suggested that the rhetoric from President Biden and Harris is contributing to the threats against him. "They use highly inflammatory language. I could use it too—but I choose not to," Trump claimed.
The alleged assassination plot involved a 58-year-old suspect, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh. According to reports, Secret Service agents fired shots at Routh near the edge of Trump's golf course after spotting him with an AK-47-style rifle equipped with a scope and a GoPro camera.
Routh reportedly fled the scene in a black car after escaping from the shrubbery where he had been hiding. Thanks to witnesses and the woman who took photos of the vehicle, authorities were able to track the car and arrest Routh. The FBI is currently investigating the incident further.
Trump's comments have sparked conversations about the increasing risk of political violence in the country and the importance of vigilance by the public.
