What we know so far – RT World News

Former US President Donald Trump, who is seeking a second term in the White House, appears to have been the target of an assassination attempt for the second time in three months.

The suspect is reportedly a Ukraine-obsessed man who was involved in recruiting foreign fighters for kyiv.

The incident

The U.S. Secret Service has described a possible attempt on the Republican presidential candidate's life as an assassination attempt that took place shortly before 2 p.m. Sunday at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Agency personnel fired several shots at a gunman they saw near the property line, the service said.

The suspect fled but was captured later that day in neighboring Martin County. The sheriff's office confirmed it had arrested a suspect who was driving north on I-95. Deputies acted on information shared by their West Palm Beach County counterparts.

The FBI has taken over the investigation.

Sniper's Nest

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw has shared images of where the suspect was hiding, in the bushes that line the perimeter of the golf club. The items recovered reportedly include an AK-47-style assault rifle with a scope, two backpacks with ceramic tiles hanging from the fence and a GoPro camera, he said.

The sheriff said a Secret Service agent had spotted a rifle barrel sticking out of the bushes and confronted the gunman, forcing him to flee. The man and his vehicle were seen by an eyewitness, who confirmed the suspect's identity after he was arrested, Bradshaw added.

Pro-kyiv suspect

Several media outlets have identified the suspected shooter as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of North Carolina and living in Hawaii. Photos of a man wearing a pink T-shirt sitting inside a police car are circulating online.

Routh had previously spoken to US media about his pro-kyiv stance and his role in recruiting foreign fighters he believed could be used by the Ukrainian government.

In June 2022, he told Newsweek that he considered the Ukraine conflict to be “Definitely black and white,” and “about good versus evil.”

He was originally intended to join the ranks of the Ukrainian army, but apparently failed to do so. He reportedly turned to other projects, including an attempt to recruit and send Afghan commandos who had fled the Taliban to the front in Ukraine.

“We can probably buy some passports through Pakistan, as it is a very corrupt country.” he told the New York Times in March 2023.

In an interview with Semafor the same month, Routh expressed frustration with kyiv, which was wary of his proposal. The outlet identified him as the director of the International Volunteer Centre (IVC) in Ukraine, a pro-kyiv non-profit organisation.

In May 2022, his face briefly appeared in a video calling on the international community to put pressure on Russia on behalf of the Azov Battalion, the infamous Ukrainian unit linked to white nationalist groups around the world. Hundreds of its fighters were captured in the city of Mariupol that month, after handing over a heavily fortified former steelworks they used as a base. Supporters wanted them released as soon as possible.

Reaction

Public figures from all political parties have condemned the latest apparent attempt to kill Trump.

“As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or any kind of violence in our country,” President Joe Biden said so in a statement.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who is facing Trump in the November election, said she was “deeply disturbed” by the incident and grateful that her opponent was safe.

Trump has expressed his gratitude to the Secret Service, Sheriff Bradshaw and his office for the “Amazing job done.” He pointed out that “It was certainly an interesting day!”

Brush with death in July

In mid-July, a sniper shot Trump during a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania. One shot grazed Trump’s ear, while other shots killed one of the former president’s supporters and wounded several others. The shooter was killed when a Secret Service agent returned fire.

The incident brought intense criticism to the Secret Service for alleged lapses in providing security for Trump. Director Kimberly Cheatle later resigned from her post following bipartisan pressure. Ronald L. Rowe Jr. succeeded her as acting director of the agency.