Donald Trump has accused President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris of inciting violence against him following an apparent assassination attempt on Sunday. Trump claimed their rhetoric about him being a threat to democracy is responsible for the incident, which took place while he was golfing in Florida.
The attempt occurred when a man, identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, allegedly planned to shoot Trump at his golf course in West Palm Beach. Routh was apprehended by police after being spotted with an assault-style rifle. US Secret Service agents fired at him, though he was not hit, and he later surrendered without resistance.
Routh appeared in court on Monday, where he was charged with illegal firearms possession. He remained composed, only responding with brief affirmations to the judge’s questions. The FBI has launched an investigation into what they describe as an attempted assassination.
This follows a similar incident two months ago at a rally in Pennsylvania, where Trump was grazed by a bullet, and a supporter was killed before the gunman was shot dead by return fire.
Trump, who was unharmed in Sunday’s incident, told Fox News Digital that Biden and Harris’s comments are putting his life in danger. He criticised their portrayal of him as a threat to democracy and claimed their inflammatory language was to blame for the attack.
Biden and Harris have labelled Trump as a danger due to his refusal to concede the 2020 election and his portrayal of the January 6 Capitol riot participants as political dissidents.
Trump’s election campaign has heavily focused on warnings about immigrant “invasion” and his claims that the nation is in decline, which he insists only he can reverse. He responded to the attacks with calls for increased support and donations, using the incident to bolster his campaign.
At the White House, Biden expressed relief that Trump was unharmed but also called for additional support for the Secret Service, which has faced criticism following the Butler, Pennsylvania shooting where the attacker managed to position himself advantageously.
The attempted assassination highlights escalating tensions as the presidential election approaches, with increased threats and conspiracy theories intensifying across the country. In Springfield, Ohio, tensions related to Trump’s rhetoric about the local Haitian immigrant community have led to repeated public institution shutdowns.
With the election campaign in full swing, concerns are growing about potential violence and Trump’s reaction to a possible loss, echoing fears of a repeat of the January 6 insurrection.