Donald Trump blames Democrats’ ‘rhetoric’ for encouraging assassination attempts

Donald Trump has spoken after surviving the second attempt on his life in eight weeks, claiming Kamala Harris and Joe Biden are “causing me to be shot at”.

Former President Donald Trump has boldly accused President Biden and Vice President Harris of inciting violence against him, following the second attempt on his life in as many months.

On Sunday, Trump was rushed off his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, after Secret Service agents discovered a gunman with an AK-47-style rifle aimed through a chain-link fence.

The suspect was arrested after fleeing the scene, with authorities treating the event as an assassination attempt.

This latest assassination attempt follows a July 13 incident where Trump was shot in the ear during a rally in Pennsylvania. The gunman in that attack killed one person and wounded others before being fatally shot by police.

Trump has spoken at length about the two assassination attempts and now claims that the Florida suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, acted on the “highly inflammatory language” used by Democrats.

Former President Donald Trump has boldly accused President Biden and Vice President Harris of inciting violence against him, following the second attempt on his life in as many months.

“He believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it,” Trump told Fox News eariler today.

Harris has repeatedly cast the 78-year-old as a “threat to democracy” in her campaign videos, which have lit a fire under America’s staunch left wing that fears another Trump presidency will spell the end of their country.

But Trump, who is no stranger to using alarmist political messaging, suggests their language is what inspired the most recent shooter.

“Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at,” Trump stated, describing Biden and Harris the “real threat” to the country.

Trump acknowledged his own liberal use of inflammatory rhetoric in the past, which has included insults and intimidation, but nevertheless warned Democrats to tone down their language.

“I can use it too — far better than they can — but I don’t,” he said.

Republican congressman Mike Waltz voiced his support for Trump after those comments made their way across US media.

“When you have this narrative coming from the left, from [the] media, from elected officials, even, that Trump has to be stopped by any means necessary, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that these people are being radicalized and taking action like this,” Waltz said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday.

A background check on Routh revealed he had lived in Hawaii and had multiple prior run-ins with police dating back to the 1990s.

Routh had also posted anti-Trump sentiments on social media, echoing Democratic talking points such as “Democracy is on the ballot”.

Trump has used the latest incident to ramp up his strong criticism against the mainstream media, accusing major outlets in the US of protecting the Democratic Party and biased reporting.

After his recent, tumultuous debate against Harris, Trump criticised moderator David Muir, calling him “a sleaze like the rest of them” and said the event was “three against one”.

Biden and Harris have repeatedly cast Trump as a ‘threat to democracy’.

Shooting suspect charged, faces 20 years

On Monday, Routh was charged in a Federal Court with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obstructed serial number. The first offence could lead to 15 years in prison, and the second up to five years.

Routh was allegedly able to get around 270-500 metres away from Mr Trump with the gun.

In a worrying development, the FBI said Routh appeared to have waited in the dark for Mr Trump through the night.

“Routh’s mobile phone was located in the vicinity of the area along the tree line... from approximately 1:59am until approximately 1:31pm on September 15,” an FBI special agent said in a criminal complaint.

Routh was charged in a Federal Court with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obstructed serial number. The first offence could lead to 15 years in prison, and the second up to five years.

Now, questions have been raised about how the would-be shooter of Mr Trump knew he would be at the course, given his golf schedule is not made public.

At today’s press conference, law enforcement said Mr Trump had not been scheduled to be at the golf course at the time Routh was arrested.

“It’s an active investigation. I don’t have any information on that subject,” said Ronald Rowe, acting director of the Secret Service.

Mr Rowe said the would-be shooter never had sight of Mr Trump.

As more details about Mr Routh surfaced, his son, Oran Routh, offered his perspective on his father’s alleged attempt on Trump’s life.

He explained that his father, who has been arrested on suspicion of attempting to assassinate Trump, was not a violent person.

“He hated Donald Trump, as every reasonable person does. I don’t like Trump either,” he said.

Oran, 35, said he was still coming to terms with the accusations against his father.

“He’s my dad, and all he’s had is a couple of traffic tickets, as far as I know. That’s crazy. I know my dad and love my dad, but that’s nothing like him,” he said, adding that he’d “never known him to own a gun or known him to do anything bats**t like this.”

“If my father wants to be a martyr to how broken and disassociated the process has become from the real problems and practical solutions, then that’s his choice.

“ I’m not saying that’s what he’s done or what he’s about, that’s just my own rant being fed up with it all for my entire adult life.”

Originally published as Donald Trump blames Democrats’ ‘rhetoric’ for encouraging assassination attempts