The U.S. Secret Service has confirmed that former President Donald Trump is safe following a reported shooting in Florida that prompted a large emergency response.
It remains unclear whether the shots were aimed directly at the Republican presidential nominee. The Secret Service stated that the incident, which occurred shortly before 2 p.m., is under investigation. “The former president is safe,” the agency confirmed.
It comes after Trump survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania, where a bullet grazed his ear, around two months ago, reports the Mirror.
In the aftermath of the incident, Donald Trump’s son, Donald Jr., took to X to make several unconfirmed claims about what happened.
He posted: “Again folks! SHOTS FIRED at Trump Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida. An AK-47 was discovered in the bushes, per local law enforcement. The Trump campaign has released a statement confirming former President Trump is safe. A suspect has reportedly been apprehended. “
Donald Trump had returned to Florida this weekend after a West Coast trip that included a Friday night rally in Las Vegas and a fundraiser in Utah.
The campaign has not yet provided further details about the incident. According to a spokesperson for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, no injuries were reported.
The White House announced that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, had been briefed and would receive updates on the investigation. They expressed relief that Trump is safe.
A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing investigation, said officials are working to determine whether the shots were fired near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course or on the property itself. This official was not authorized to speak publicly.
In a post on X, Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close congressional ally of Trump, mentioned that he had spoken with Trump after the incident and that Trump was in “good spirits” and remains “one of the strongest people I’ve ever known.”
Trump often spends his mornings golfing before having lunch at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, one of his three clubs in the state.
Since the assassination attempt in July, Trump has increased his security measures. At Trump Tower in New York, dump trucks are used to create a barricade outside the building, and he now speaks from behind bulletproof glass at outdoor rallies.
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