# FBI Says Trump Faced Apparent Assassination Attempt at Florida Golf Club
Donald Trump was the target of what the FBI said appeared to be an attempted assassination at his Florida golf club on Sept. 15, 2024, just nine weeks after he survived another attempt on his life. The former president said he was safe and well after the incident at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, and authorities later held a suspect on federal gun charges.
According to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, Secret Service agents positioned a few holes ahead of Trump noticed the muzzle of an AK-style rifle sticking through the shrubs about 400 yards away. An agent fired, the gunman dropped the weapon and fled in an SUV, leaving behind two backpacks, a scope and a GoPro camera. The suspect was stopped in a neighboring county after a search that spread beyond the course.
The episode immediately reignited concerns about presidential protection. Trump had been shot at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, when a bullet grazed his ear, and the attempted attack in Florida came as the campaign entered another volatile stage. AP's report notes that the July shooting had already triggered questions about Secret Service failures, and this second incident deepened scrutiny of how protectees are being covered.
The suspect was said to have camped outside the course for nearly 12 hours before the confrontation. Sheriff William Snyder described him as calm and flat in demeanor when stopped. That detail does not answer motive, but it suggests authorities saw premeditation rather than a spontaneous encounter. The FBI said it was investigating what appeared to be an attempted assassination.
Trump returned to Mar-a-Lago after the incident and told supporters in an email that he was safe and well. The campaign also tried to project continuity, with planned appearances still on the schedule, but the attack attempt risked overshadowing the rest of the race. Biden and Harris were briefed, underscoring that the shooting carried national political weight beyond the private world of a golf club.
The AP report leaves the legal case open, but the essentials are clear: a rifle was found, a suspect was detained, and investigators believed the former president had been targeted. For a campaign already shaped by one shooting, a felony case and ongoing security questions, the Florida incident showed how fragile the safety perimeter around a presidential candidate had become.
