Donald Trump has issued a defiant statement after shots were fired at his golf course near West Palm Beach while he was present – promising to never surrender.
‘There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I am safe and well,’ he wrote in an alert sent out by his team Sunday.
‘Nothing will slow me down. I will never surrender,’ the candidate continued, months after surviving a separate attempt on his life that saw him shot in the ear.
‘I will always love you for supporting me.
‘Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again. May god bless you,’ he wrote as a signoff, sharing a photo of his face as a characteristic signature.
Feds have since confirmed the incident was a failed assassination attempt.
Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign’s communications director, added in his own bulletin not long after the shots were heard: ‘President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity.
‘No further details at this time.’
A man, meanwhile, has been reportedly taken into custody, though it remains unknown whether he was the one responsible for the gunfire.
No members of the Secret Service were injured, and cops said the shooting occurred just before 2pm.
The person detained by feds at the scene was said to have a ‘calm demeanor’, but has not been identified.
The nature of the shooting, as a result, remains unknown, and members of the Secret Service were seen firing at the suspect, who was said to be a few holes ahead of the group Trump was a part of.
A long gun has reportedly been recovered from the scene, and sources briefed on the matter have said officials believe Trump was the intended target.
It’s not known if the person detained even let a shot off, with initial reports only indicating Secret Service agents fired at the suspect.
That confrontation took place in woods near the golf club, officials said.
As reports of the shooting circulated, Vice President Kamala Harris issued her own response on X.
‘I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida,’ the short statement read.
‘I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.’
Trump, meanwhile, went on to return to the club, officials revealed, before confirming he has since left the scene. The presidential candidate was initially rushed off the golf course when the shots rang out.
Members of the Secret Service were said to have spotted the individual now being held in relation to the case, likely avoiding casualties.
He was seen holding an assault-style gun that some have said appeared to look like an AK-47, though that remains to be seen.
The FBI has responded to the scene, calling the event an ‘attempted assassination.’
Feds’ investigation into the incident remains ongoing. The person detained has yet to be named.
In the meantime, many – including Trumps team – are asking questions: like how could two people with guns get so close to the former president in a manner of months.
The probe, as the last one after the failed attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, did, will likely yield answers.
Trump has a campaign office in West Palm Beach, not far from the golf course.