Donald Trump’s running mate suggested the rhetoric of Democrats was to blame for the second attempt on the former president’s life in as many months.
Donald Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, responded to an assassination attempt targeting the former president in a lengthy post on social media.
The suspect, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, camped outside the Republican nominee’s Florida golf club in West Palm Beach for almost 12 hours before a Secret Service agent thwarted the potential attack and opened fire, according to court documents.
Routh, 58, did not fire any shots and fled the scene in an SUV before being arrested in neighboring Martin County. He has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Coming after a July 13 shooting at a Pennsylvania rally that saw Trump sustain an ear injury, Sunday’s episode marked the second attempt on Trump’s life in as many months and has reignited concerns about violence in U.S. politics.
In a post on X, Vance decried media coverage of Sunday’s incident and suggested the suspect was motivated by the rhetoric of Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s opponent in November’s election, and her Democratic allies.
Harris “has said that ‘Democracy is on the line’ in her race against President Trump. The gunman agreed, and used the exact same phrase”, Vance wrote.
“He had a Kamala Harris bumper sticker on his truck.
