Donald Trump has issued a defiant statement after shots were fired at his golf course near West Palm Beach while he was there, vowing he would never surrender.
“There have been gunshots in my area, but before the rumors get out of hand, I want you to hear this first: I am safe and sound,” he wrote in an alert sent by his team on Sunday.
“Nothing will stop me. I will never surrender,” the candidate continued, months after surviving a separate attempt on his life in which he was shot in the ear.
‘I will always love you because you support me.
“Unity. Peace. Make America great again. God bless you,” he wrote in closing, sharing a photo of his face as a signature.
The federal government has since confirmed that the incident was a failed assassination attempt.
Donald Trump has issued a defiant statement after shots were fired at his golf course near West Palm Beach while he was present – and vowed to never give up. He is seen here at his Mar-a-Lago club – just five miles away from his golf club where shots were fired
Steven Cheung, communications director for Trump’s campaign, added in his own bulletin shortly after the shots were heard: “President Trump is safe following the gunfire in his area.
‘No further details are available at this time.’
A man has reportedly been arrested, but it is not yet known whether he is responsible for the shooting.
No Secret Service members were injured. Police said the shooting occurred just before 2 p.m.
The person arrested at the scene by federal authorities is said to have a “calm demeanor,” but the identity has not yet been released.
The nature of the shooting remains unknown. Secret Service members were seen shooting at the suspect, who was reportedly a few holes away from the group Trump was with.
A long gun was reportedly found at the crime scene. According to sources familiar with the case, officials believe Trump was the intended target.
It is not known if the arrested person fired any shots. Initial reports indicate that Secret Service agents only fired at the suspect.
“There were gunshots in my area, but before the rumors get out of hand, I want you to hear this first: I am safe and sound,” he wrote in the alert his team sent Sunday. “Nothing will stop me.”
Palm Beach Sheriff’s Department vehicles were lined up outside Trump International Golf Club on Sunday after gunfire was reported near where the former president was golfing.
According to officials, the confrontation took place in a wooded area near the golf club.
As news of the shooting spread, Vice President Kamala Harris offered her own response to X.
“I have been made aware of reports of gunfire near former President Trump and his property in Florida,” the short statement said.
“I’m glad he’s safe. Violence has no place in America.”
Trump has since returned to the club, officials revealed, before confirming that he has since left the scene. The presidential candidate was initially chased off the golf course when shots rang out.
Secret Service members are said to have spotted the person now in custody in connection with the case, likely to avoid casualties.
He was seen carrying an assault rifle that some said resembled an AK-47, but that remains to be seen.
The FBI has arrived on the scene and is calling the incident an “attempted murder.”
As reports of the shooting swirled, Vice President Kamala Harris issued her own response to X, saying she was glad her rival was “safe”
The FBI has arrived on the scene and is calling the incident an “attempted murder.”
The Fed’s investigation into the incident is ongoing. The person arrested has not yet been named.
Meanwhile, many — including Trump’s team — are asking questions: How could two people with guns get so close to the former president in a matter of months?
The investigation, like the latest investigation after the failed attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, is likely to provide answers.
Trump has a campaign office in West Palm Beach.
