Trump Survives Second Assassination Attempt... US Election 51 Days Away Shaken

Former U.S. President Donald Trump faced a life-threatening incident at a golf course following an event two months ago where a bullet narrowly missed him during a campaign rally. Unlike the first assassination attempt, he was not injured this time, but the impact on the U.S. presidential election, which is just 51 days away and currently a neck-and-neck race, is drawing attention.

According to the Secret Service (SS) and local police on the 15th (local time), Trump was playing golf between the 5th and 6th holes at his privately owned golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, when gunfire erupted nearby.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

For security, a Secret Service agent who was ahead of Trump spotted an armed man aiming an AK-47 type rifle from the bushes on the outskirts of the golf course and fired in that direction.

Trump was unharmed and immediately evacuated to a safe location before later moving to his nearby Mar-a-Lago residence.

The suspect dropped his weapon after being fired upon by the Secret Service, fled the scene by car, but was arrested on a nearby highway.

The suspect is 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Lauer, who previously claimed in media interviews that he was involved in recruiting foreign volunteers to fight in the war to help Ukraine.

According to CBS News, he had expressed disappointment with Trump, whom he voted for in the 2016 election, on X (formerly Twitter), writing, "I would be glad if you disappeared."

Investigators are currently examining the suspect’s motives and other details.

This incident occurred about two months after Trump was shot above his right ear during an outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.

With American voters sharply divided between Trump and Vice President Harris, making the outcome difficult to predict, this incident, occurring just 51 days before the election on November 5, is being closely watched for its potential impact on the race.

The July shooting incident served to further unite Trump’s support base.

At that time, Trump blamed President Biden and Vice President Harris, who had criticized him as an "enemy of democracy," for the attack, and it is expected that he will attempt to politically leverage this recent incident as well.

In an email sent to supporters immediately after the shooting, he stated, "I will never surrender!" and added, "My resolve has only grown stronger after another attempt on my life."