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Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday that his state will conduct its own investigation into the assassination attempt against President Donald Trump.
Trump was playing a round of golf at his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, when the Secret Service reportedly opened fire on a shooter within 500 yards of his location.
Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was later arrested after fleeing in a vehicle. He was allegedly armed with a rifle that included a scope, along with a GoPro camera and backpack.
“The State of Florida will be conducting its own investigation regarding the attempted assassination at Trump International Golf Club,” DeSantis wrote on X Sunday evening.
“The people deserve the truth about the would be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee,” he added.
The event occurred shortly before 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. Trump’s campaign released a brief initial statement.
“President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity. No further details at this time,” said Steven Cheung, Trump Campaign Communications Director.
During a Sunday afternoon press conference, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw shared that the suspect was hiding in the bushes before exchanging fire with the Secret Service. Routh fled in a black vehicle on I-95 toward Martin County before being apprehended.
The leaders of the bipartisan congressional task force investigating the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump are also seeking a briefing into Sunday’s shooting incident.
“We are thankful that the former President was not harmed but remain deeply concerned about political violence and condemn it in all of its forms,” task force Chair Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and ranking member Jason Crow (D-Colo.) wrote Sunday.
The press conference noted that Secret Service protection was limited since Trump is not the sitting president. The FBI is leading the investigation.
Trump also called Fox News host Sean Hannity to share his initial reaction to the second assassination attempt on his life within the last 50 days.
As RSBN previously reported, Hannity shared that Trump was enjoying a game of golf with Steve Witkoff on Sunday when gunfire broke out in his vicinity, forcing him off the course. After speaking with both Trump and Witkoff, Hannity described what happened.
Per Hannity, gunshots rang out outside the golf course near where Trump and Witkoff were playing on Sunday. “Within seconds, the Secret Service pounced on the president, covered him,” he said.
“The first thing the president did when he got back to the clubhouse was make sure that everybody else was OK,” said the Fox host. He added that as President Trump was rushed to safety, the president repeatedly asked “Where’s Steve?” when he didn’t see his golf partner with him.
Hannity continued, “And then Steve said, ‘I’m right here,’” when he came in a few minutes after the president. Everyone else was safely removed from the golf course.
