The Republican candidate believes that the incendiary rhetoric of his opponents may have contributed to the second attempt on his life.
Former US President Donald Trump has suggested that Democratic Party rhetoric portraying him as a threat to electoral democracy likely contributed to the recent assassination attempt.
On Sunday, the Secret Service scared off a gunman hiding in the bushes at Trump's golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. The suspect fled in a car and was arrested shortly afterward nearby, thanks to a witness who described the vehicle to police.
In a lengthy interview on X Spaces on Monday, Trump offered his version of the dramatic events, saying it was clearly a second attempt to kill him in a span of about two months. The first incident occurred at a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, in mid-July, when a bullet fragment grazed Trump's ear.
“Well, there’s a lot of rhetoric out there right now. A lot of people think that Democrats, when they talk about ‘threat to democracy’ and all that… And it seems like both of those people were radical leftists.” Trump said this, referring to the suspects in each case.
In earlier comments about the Pennsylvania incident, he had also suggested that political attacks against him might have influenced the perpetrator. Democratic Party leaders have branded the Republican candidate a would-be tyrant bent on destroying the American political system and urged voters to side with their candidate to safeguard the nation's future.
Leading Democratic figures, including President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, whom the party has nominated for the November election, have condemned both instances of violence against their opponent.
The Butler shooter, a 20-year-old local man, was killed at the scene by snipers. During Monday's interview, Trump said federal investigators had trouble accessing the suspect's personal devices.
The second person charged with trying to kill Trump is a 58-year-old man who is an outspoken defender of Ukraine and who reportedly voted Republican in the 2016 election and appears to have switched sides since then, now favoring Democrats.
READ MORE:
Convict, Zelensky fanatic and would-be Trump assassin: Who is Ryan Routh?
Trump praised the Secret Service and the West Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office for their handling of Sunday's incident in Florida. Unlike in Pennsylvania, there were no deaths or injuries and the suspect is now in custody, which was a great outcome, he said.
The politician reminded those present that he survived in July only by chance and reflected on possible divine intervention.
“Something is going on. Maybe it is God who wants me to be president to save this country. Nobody knows.” he reflected.
You can share this story on social media:
