Following the second attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life on Sunday, questions have begun to rise about why the U.S. Secret Service has not provided the GOP nominee with presidential-level protection.
Just two months after the former president was shot in the ear by a gunman at a Pennsylvania rally, the FBI is saying that another attempt has been made on Trump’s life. This time, it involved a gunman outside Trump International Golf Club in Florida who was shot at by Secret Service members after they spotted him pointing an AK-47 at the course where Trump was playing.
The agents who shot at the gunman, identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, were a couple of holes ahead of Trump when they saw a rifle barrel sticking out of the course bushes and unloaded four to six rounds. The suspect was detained without violence, but experts say if Trump had had presidential-level security, the entire course would've been surrounded instead of a single agent spotting him. The Secret Service began protecting presidents in 1901 after the assassination of president William McKinley and per the rules they protect the sitting presidents, their spouses and immediate family at all times.
In 1958, the Former Presidents Act was passed, which provides a lifetime of protection for former presidents, their spouses and their children, up to the age of 15. So Trump falls under this act as he runs for a second term and the guidelines for that are less stringent. The CBC reported the level of protection for former presidents "depends on potential threats and how long they've been out of office" but they typically have four agents at a time whenever they go out.
In this instance, law enforcement have said that the gunman got within 300 to 500 yards of Trump, leading to questions about how his security detail, which has been increased since July 13, could have allowed the gunman within shooting distance before being spotted.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said on Sunday at a press conference that despite the extra security, Trump still has a smaller detail than a sitting president, as is typical for former presidents and presidential candidates.
“At this level that he is at right now, he’s not the sitting president — if he was, we would have had this entire golf course surrounded,” Bradshaw said. “But because he’s not, the security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible. So I would imagine that the next time he comes at a golf course, there’ll probably be a little bit more people around the perimeter.”
Despite the attempt on his life in July, Trump has only received heightened security, including bullet proof glass at outdoor events and extra Secret Service agents.
But like Bradshaw said, his level of security remains less than that of the sitting president even with the assassination attempts.
Following the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, a bipartisan congressional task force was created to investigate the attempt on Trump’s life.
Members Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Jason Crow (D-CO) released a statement on the latest attempt on Sunday.
“The Task Force is monitoring this attempted assassination of former President Trump in West Palm Beach this afternoon. We have requested a briefing with the U.S. Secret Service about what happened and how security responded. We are thankful that the former President was not harmed, but remain deeply concerned about political violence and condemn it in all of its forms. The Task Force will share updates as we learn more,” the statement said.
Pressure is expected to mount for the Secret Service, which has now allowed two would-be gunmen to get close to Trump, who remains a polarizing figure in the country at a time when political tension is near its height.
After the last attempt on Trump’s life, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned amidst the pressure from Congress over her agency’s failures.
On Monday, Trump thanked law enforcement after his second close call, saying they did an “incredible job” protecting him in a post on Truth Social.
“Most importantly, I want to thank the U.S. Secret Service, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and his Office of brave and dedicated Patriots, and, all of Law Enforcement, for the incredible job done today at Trump International in keeping me, as the 45th President of the United States, and the Republican Nominee in the upcoming Presidential Election, SAFE. THE JOB DONE WAS ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING. I AM VERY PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!” Trump wrote.