Just a few weeks before the election, Donald Trump is once again the target of an attempted assassination. A suspect is in custody – and Trump immediately uses the incident for his own purposes.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump blames US President Joe Biden and his deputy Kamala Harris for the alleged assassination attempt on him. “He believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted accordingly,” Trump told the US media outlet Fox News Digital about the arrested suspect. “Their rhetoric is leading to me being shot at, even though I am the one who is going to save the country and they are the ones destroying the country.”
After the shooting at Trump’s golf course in Florida, there is great concern about an escalation of political violence – and just a few weeks before the election, statements like Trump’s could be fueled further. The Republican described Biden and Harris as “enemies within” and called them “the real threat”. A little later, the 78-year-old added on his platform Truth Social: “Bullets are flying because of this communist left rhetoric, and it’s only going to get worse!”
On Sunday afternoon (local time), the Secret Service discovered the armed suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, a few hundred meters from Republican presidential candidate Trump in the bushes at the fence around his golf course in West Palm Beach. Officers shot at him. The man reportedly fled in a car and was arrested a short time later on a nearby highway. His exact motive continues to raise questions.
Charges filed against suspect
Routh was charged in federal court in Florida on Monday morning (local time). He is accused of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, according to a document published by several US media outlets. The man could be charged with other counts, CNN reported, citing a law enforcement official familiar with the matter.
The man wore a dark prison gown and had his feet and hands shackled during his first court appearance, CNN reported. A detention hearing is scheduled for September 23, and the charges are scheduled for September 30.
There was an attack on Trump in July, when a gunman opened fire on him during a campaign rally in the US state of Pennsylvania. The Republican was injured in the ear and a visitor was killed. Security forces killed the gunman, whose motive is still unclear. The incident marked a turning point in the election campaign. Politicians across party lines condemned all political violence.
Warnings of violence – and further accusations
Even after the new incident, Biden and Harris stressed that there is no place for violence in the United States. “We all have to do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to further violence,” Harris warned.
Trump supporter Elon Musk caused horror with a reaction to X, which he deleted after a short time. On his online platform he wrote: “And no one is even trying to murder Biden/Kamala.” He put an emoticon with a thoughtful face behind the words.
Right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, who has recently appeared on Trump’s side several times, wrote on X: “The media is trying to kill President Trump and his supporters.” Trump sent messages calling for donations immediately after the incident.
Motive of perpetrator still unclear
The man’s exact motive was initially unclear. According to media reports, Routh is a construction contractor from the state of North Carolina who made political statements on social networks – including criticism of Trump. The New York Times reported, citing police sources, that the man had moved to Hawaii. According to the newspaper, the suspect is said to have publicly advocated support for Ukraine in its defensive struggle against Russia on several occasions. In a post on social media, he wrote that he was prepared to fight and die in Ukraine. Whether there is a connection between his political orientation and the incident in Florida is the subject of the investigation.
Tense mood in the USA
The political mood in the USA has been tense for years – Trump’s polarizing term in office and in particular the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021 are still having an impact today. In January, US Attorney General Merrick Garland denounced increasing threats against public officials and democratic institutions in the country at the start of the election year. Since then, fears that the social divide in the country is deepening seem to have been confirmed.
Trump (78) will run against Democrat Harris (59), who is currently Biden’s vice president, in the presidential election on November 5. Polls so far indicate a very close race.
Demands for more protection
The incident raises further questions about the safety of the presidential candidates. The suspect appears to have managed to get within a few hundred meters of Trump with a rifle. Biden spoke out on Monday in favor of strengthening the Secret Service. The bodyguards need more help, he said. “And I think Congress should respond to that need.” The Republican Chairman of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, also called for more protection.
Violence against high-ranking politicians has occurred time and again in the USA – even presidents have been targeted several times. In 1865, US President Abraham Lincoln was shot in the box of a theater in the capital Washington while watching a comedy. US President John F. Kennedy was shot in an assassination attempt on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas. When President Ronald Reagan was shot in Washington in 1981, a bodyguard threw himself over him to protect him.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
