A U.S. Secret Service spokesperson summed up a tense afternoon at Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida, with five chilling words: “We live in dangerous times.”
The statement was made during a press conference on Sunday, just hours after a person was spotted near the golf course with what appeared to be an AK-47-style semi-automatic rifle, only a few hundred yards from where former President Donald Trump was playing golf.
The FBI is treating the incident as the second assassination attempt on Trump in just two months. Law enforcement released images showing what appeared to be a makeshift sniper’s nest, raising serious questions about how the individual was able to get so close to the former president.
During the press conference, it was revealed just how close Trump came to being targeted again, following a July 13 incident in Butler County, Pennsylvania, when a gunman grazed his ear at a rally. When asked how far away Sunday’s suspect was, West Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw estimated the distance to be “between 300 and 500 yards,” noting that with a rifle and scope of that kind, the distance was negligible.
The security breach began at around 1:30 PM on Sunday, when the Secret Service reported shots fired. At the time, Trump was golfing with his friend, Republican mega-donor Steve Witkoff, between the 5th and 6th holes of the course.
Bradshaw explained that the area was covered with thick shrubbery, which provided cover for the suspected assassin to position himself largely out of sight. Federal agents disclosed that the suspect was carrying an AK-47-style rifle with a scope, two backpacks, and a GoPro camera, suggesting that he intended to document his actions.
As details emerged, two contrasting narratives took shape.
The first narrative focused on Trump’s exposure, even with heightened security measures in place following the Butler incident. It appeared disturbingly easy for a heavily armed individual to gain access to the golf course and conceal himself within the vegetation. Sheriff Bradshaw pointed out that if Trump were still a sitting president, the Secret Service would never have allowed him to play golf in such an unsecured area. However, since Trump is no longer in office, the Secret Service’s protections are somewhat limited.
The second narrative, however, highlighted a more positive outcome. In contrast to the Butler County incident, where the Secret Service faced heavy criticism and led to the resignation of its director, Kimberly Cheatle, Sunday’s events showcased the agency’s preparedness and quick response.
A Secret Service agent, assigned to scout ahead of Trump by a hole or two, spotted the rifle barrel protruding through the bushes and immediately engaged the suspect, firing between four and six rounds.
“The Secret Service did exactly what they were trained to do, and the agent performed superbly,” Bradshaw stated.
The suspect, under fire, dropped his weapon and fled through the bushes, jumping into a black Nissan positioned for a quick escape. Remarkably, a bystander had the presence of mind to snap a photograph of the vehicle, capturing the license plate.
Thanks to Florida’s sophisticated surveillance systems, the license plate was swiftly run through the state’s database. The suspect was located within minutes on I-95 and arrested at gunpoint without incident.
William Snyder, the sheriff of neighboring Martin County, where the arrest occurred, described the suspect as “unarmed and calm, displaying little emotion.”
The seamless coordination between federal and local law enforcement likely prevented a catastrophic outcome. However, the other, more alarming narrative persists: how, so soon after the near-miss in Pennsylvania, was it possible for Trump to be playing golf in such an unsecured environment?
In a country with a painful history of assassinations, how could a former president be targeted twice in such a short time span?
A vigilant Secret Service agent may have averted a disaster, but the larger question remains: is the security around the former president truly sufficient?
“The threat level is high,” the Secret Service spokesperson reiterated. “We live in dangerous times.”
