Trump praises Secret Service for ‘excellent job’ amid apparent assassination attempt

Suspect is 'behind bars, and hopefully he's going to be there for a long time,' says former US president

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Former US President Donald Trump said Monday that the Secret Service did an "excellent job" while dealing with an apparent assassination attempt on his life.

"The Secret Service did an excellent job, and they have the man behind bars, and hopefully he's going to be there for a long time. Dangerous person. Very, very dangerous person," Trump said live on X Spaces.

His remarks came a day after he was rushed to safety after what the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) termed an apparent assassination attempt at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Trump said he was playing golf with some of his friends.

"And all of a sudden, we heard shots being fired in the air, and I guess probably four or five, and it sounded like bullets...The Secret Service knew immediately it was bullets, and they grabbed me," he added.

The Secret Service opened fire after an agent visually sweeping the area saw the barrel of an AK-47-style assault rifle poking out of the bushes 400-500 yards (365 to 457 meters) away from Trump.

"We got into the carts and we moved along pretty, pretty good. I was with an agent, and the agent did a fantastic job," Trump said.

The suspect, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was arrested and charged with firearms offences.

The incident occurred two months after Trump was wounded during an assassination attempt on July 13, when Thomas Matthew Crooks, a lone 20-year-old gunman, opened fire on him during a campaign rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania, grazing his right ear.

While hailing the agents, Trump said: "We do need more people on my detail, because we have 50-60,000 people showing up to events."

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