Florida, September 17:
The US Secret Service defended their protective strategy for former US President Donald Trump on Monday, describing it as "text book" and "exemplary," after thwarting a probable assassination attempt on Trump. According to Politico, At a news conference held at the West Palm Beach county sheriff's office, Acting Director Ronald Rowe Jr. stated, "The Secret Service's protective methodologies work, and they are sound and we saw that yesterday."
Claiming to have spotted the suspect's firearm barrel, the agent on the spot fired "immediately" towards him, an action he described as a symbol of the Secret Service's "hypervigilance."
Ronald Rowe Jr. assured Politico that the suspect could not fire at the officers sweeping the course because he did not have a clear view of Trump.
Convicted felon Ryan Routh's (58) possession of a handgun with an obliterated serial number and owning a firearm by a convicted felon were both brought to light during the press conference that took place on the same day. On Monday, he made a brief appearance in West Palm Beach federal court. Routh has been ordered held without bond until a detention hearing planned for September 23, according to US Magistrate Judge Ryon McCabe.
A federal criminal complaint suggests that Ryan Routh may have waited for Trump outside his Mar-a-Lago golf course for over twelve hours, and the location where he placed a semi-automatic gun is where officials found it.
Since Trump's trip to his golf club was not on his official calendar and was thus deemed to be "off the record movement," Ronald Rowe Jr. stated that the location had not been surveyed beforehand. In response, the security detail devised a strategy he referred to as a "layered approach."
"There was no posting up of this because he wasn't supposed to be there," Rowe added, quoting a Secret Service expression for pre-positioning operatives at the location. On the other hand, he did concede that the agency should revamp its approach from "reactive model" to "readiness model."
The agency is in discussions with US Congress members on the acquisition of more funding, according to Ronald Rowe Jr. Following the first assassination attempt on Trump in July, he pointed out that numerous major events, such as the Republican and Democratic conventions, the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netayahu to Washington, DC, and the presidential debate in Philadelphia, were held without any security concerns.
According to Politico, he said that his agents were overwhelmed by the increased workload and demand after the July assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania.
"The men and women of the Secret Service -- we are redlining them, and they are rising to this moment," he stated, continuing, "The Secret Service operates under a paradox: zero-fail mission, but also that we have done more with less for decades." This is a long-standing issue.
Officials claim that Routh lacked a direct perspective on Trump. Nevertheless, the proximity of Trump to the accused remained uncertain. The previous president of the United States, he claimed, was "several hundred yards and several holes away."
While briefing on the course, he also mentioned that Routh was hiding out close to the sixth green and the former US president was on the fifth fairway. According to Rowe, "The subject, who did not have line of sight to the former president, fled the scene." According to him, "He did not fire or get off any shots at our agents."
Following Sunday's attempted assassination of President Trump, Ronald Rowe Jr. stated that the present level of Secret Service protection at Mar-a-Lago was comparable to his own during his time as US president. Until Sunday morning at the crack of dawn, investigators had no idea if the suspect had been there.
“The security level at Mar-a-Lago is the highest it can possibly be,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw stated at a press conference. He went on to say that the Secret Service could count on his office for any extra help it required.
Additionally, Bradshaw discussed Trump's statement from Sunday night, in which he stated that he "feels safe." He pointed out, "That's important, because he is." He went on to say, "And what we did yesterday proves the system can work because he didn't even get close to getting a round off," as reported by Politico.
At this point, neither Routh's arrival in Florida nor whether he acted alone nor with others were known to investigators. The head of the FBI's Miami Field Office, special agent Jeffrey Veltri, stated that a tip regarding Routh's criminal record and gun ownership was closed in 2019.
During the interview, the complainant did not confirm that he had actually supplied the requested information. The material was provided with local law police in Honolulu, according to Veltri, as reported by Politico.
After the FBI attempted to question the suspect, he asked to speak with an attorney. The FBI has since obtained warrants for the suspect's cell phone, car, and other electronics, and is analyzing his online behavior, social media posts, and interviews regarding his efforts to recruit Afghan soldiers and others to fight for Ukraine. In addition to questioning Routh's associates, relatives, and former coworkers, the FBI interviewed seven bystanders at the scene.
The former US president had been the target of two assassination attempts since July. Ryan Wesley Routh, the guy being sought for questioning, was found with two bags, a go-pro camera, and an AK-47-style rifle pointed towards the green beyond the chain-link fence. Despite attempting to flee the scene, Routh was reportedly apprehended while driving on Interstate 95, as reported by Fox News.On July 13, a shooter opened fire at a Trump event in Pennsylvania, shooting one person and injuring others before being shot dead by police. This was the second attempt at assassinating Trump.
