Suspect had 'no line of sight' on Trump, says Secret Service

A man has been charged following an apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump, as ITV News US Correspondent Dan Rivers and ITV News Correspondent Robert Moore report

The suspect at the centre of an apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump never had a line of sight on the former president thanks to the swift action of the Secret Service, its acting director has said.

Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, has been charged in relation to the incident on Sunday when a gunman hiding in a woodline on one of Trump's golf courses was fired at by the Secret Service while the Republican nominee was playing a round.

Investigators have revealed the suspect was on the course for at least 12 hours before he was spotted by the Secret Service.

Speaking to the media on Monday evening, Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe praised the work of his agents for spotting the suspect before he had a line of sight on Trump.

Rowe said the golf trip wasn’t on Trump’s schedule so they put together a security plan quickly "and that security plan worked out."

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, speaking alongside Rowe, said the suspect: "Didn’t even get close to getting a round-off."

The FBI also provided an update on Monday evening, revealing Routh had numerous previous convictions for theft, carrying firearms illegally and a 2002 conviction for possessing a "weapon of mass destruction."

US investigators and the media have discovered Routh had a mixed and confused political ideology.

The gunman has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh.

He has acknowledged voting for Trump in 2016 before seemingly switching to the Democrats having made numerous donations to different candidates during the 2020 election.

He has also been an ardent supporter of Ukraine in recent years, including visiting the country to recruit soldiers in the aftermath of the Russian invasion. He appears to have had little success.

Routh has had an extensive social media presence, done numerous interviews with the media and appeared to self-publish a book discussing his views on foreign affairs.

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He has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

During an eight-minute appearance on Monday, Routh gave basic details about his life, saying he earned $3,000 (£2,270) a month but had no savings.

He also said he had no assets except for two trucks he owned in Hawaii and he had a 25-year-old son he occasionally supported.

After being shot at by the Secret Service the suspect dropped his weapon and fled the scene in an SUV. Police said a suspect was stopped 45 minutes later about 45 miles north of the golf course.

Authorities said the Nissan SUV had a 2012 license plate registered to a Ford truck that had been reported stolen.

A Soviet-era SKS rifle was recovered at the scene and no injuries were reported.

In an email to supporters, Trump said: "There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!"

Authorities seized a number of items, including two backpacks, belonging to the shooter from the scene. Credit: CNN

He added: "Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!"

It comes just nine weeks after the Republican presidential nominee survived a previous attempt on his life.

Following the incident, President Joe Biden said "Thank God the president is okay,” and suggested the Secret Service needs "more help".

"The one thing I want to make clear is Service needs more help, and I think the Congress should respond to their needs if they in fact need more Service people,” Biden said at the White House on Monday.

"So that’s what we’re going to be talking about."

Biden added that the Secret Service "needs some more personnel".

Acting director Rowe also appeared to say the Secret Service needs more support to ensure they can continue to never have any failures while carrying out their duty.

He said since the previous attempted assassination on Trump the entire agency had been working overtime with numerous high-profile events like the party conventions requiring extensive security plans.

Biden speaks after Trump's second apparent assassination attempt. Credit: AP

The enforcement agency faced criticism after Trump was shot in the ear in an attempted assassination during a Pennsylvania rally in July.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said his state would be conducting its own investigation into the incident alongside the one being carried out by federal authorities.

Attorney General Merrick Garland says the Justice Department will “work tirelessly to ensure accountability” in the apparent assassination attempt.

Other world leaders, including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, condemned the apparent attempt on Trump's life.

Starmer said he was "very worried by the news", adding that "violence has no part to play at all in any political process".

The golf course was partially shut down for Trump as he played, and agents were several holes ahead of him when they noticed the person with the firearm, officials said.

Sir Keir Starmer told broadcasters that violence has 'no place in political discussion at all, anywhere'

Trump had returned to Florida this weekend following a Friday night rally in Las Vegas and a Utah fundraiser.

Trump often spends his Sunday mornings playing golf, before having lunch at the Trump International Golf Club - one of three he owns in Florida.

Trump has increased security since the assassination attempt on his life in July, and at outdoor rallies, he now speaks from behind an enclosure of bulletproof glass.

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