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Trump informed Vance that the would-be assassin, later identified as Ryan Wesley Routh from Hawaii, had orchestrated the attempt on his life. The attack came just two months after a previous assassination attempt during a campaign event in Pennsylvania.
“I was playing golf and the Secret Service found somebody who was trying to shoot me,” Trump told Vance. Shocked, Vance responded, “Oh my Lord, sir, I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Trump reportedly shared that, while he was grateful the plot was discovered, he was frustrated that he couldn’t finish his birdie putt. Vance noted Trump’s lighthearted attitude, despite the gravity of the situation, even as he expressed relief at the outcome.
The attempted assassination unfolded when Secret Service agents stationed one hole ahead of Trump noticed a gunman aiming an AK-47-style rifle through a chain-link fence around 2 p.m. The agents immediately fired at the suspect, prompting him to flee. The suspect, identified as 58-year-old Routh, was positioned between 300 and 500 yards from Trump at the time but never fired his weapon before agents engaged him.
Routh then escaped by car, driving approximately 40 miles north before being apprehended on I-95. Authorities quickly took him into custody, preventing what could have been a devastating attack.
This marks the second time in recent months that Trump has narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. In July, at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump dodged a bullet — literally — when a shot grazed his ear. The shooter, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was fatally shot by law enforcement after the incident, which also left one attendee dead and two others severely injured.
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In the wake of the second attempt, former Secret Service agent and political commentator Dan Bongino raised concerns about potential internal sabotage. Bongino, well-known for his sharp criticism of government agencies, speculated that there could be a “mole” within the Secret Service or Department of Homeland Security.
“I have to ask you all a really troubling question now that I promised you 10 years ago I would have called myself nuts for asking this,” Bongino said during his podcast, pausing for dramatic effect. “Is there a mole inside the DHS or Secret Service?”
Bongino went on to reference prior cases where foreign nationals or governments had infiltrated federal agencies in an effort to undermine U.S. security. He cited a recent example where two individuals were convicted of impersonating federal agents, successfully deceiving the Secret Service for months.
Bongino raised even more questions, pointing out the suspicious circumstances surrounding the Palm Beach golf outing. “Folks, what happened yesterday in Secret Service jargon… Donald Trump going to play golf at the golf course is what we call an OTR. Stands for an off-the-record movement, meaning it’s not on the official schedule, meaning very few people have access to it,” he explained.
Bongino found it particularly odd that Trump’s decision to golf was made at the last minute. “When the decision was made, less than 10 people knew about it. How’d this guy know to set up there?”
The commentator suggested that Routh, originally from North Carolina but living in Hawaii, may not have acted alone. “How did he know how to set up, and where to set up, and that Trump was going to be there?” Bongino asked, adding that the mole may not be a foreign national but someone with inside knowledge.
Bongino also speculated about the possibility of a “honeypot” trap within the Secret Service. “Is there a guy or a woman in the Secret Service having a relationship with someone who is not who they say they are? The Iranians who want to kill President Trump. Folks, how do we know that there’s not some kind of honeypot trap?”
WATCH:
As the investigation into this latest assassination attempt continues, the troubling questions raised by Bongino will likely spark intense scrutiny of security protocols around Trump and other high-profile political figures. With two close calls in such a short time frame, the possibility of insider involvement is becoming harder to ignore.
