Shortly after former President Donald Trump was deemed “safe” after shots were fired at Trump National Golf Club on Sunday, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris responded to the reported shooting.
Multiple shots were fired at the golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump, the 2024 GOP presidential nominee, was golfing today, according to the Associated Press.
“President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity. No further details at this time,” Steven Cheung, Trump’s campaign communications director, said in a statement to Newsweek on Sunday afternoon.
According to the AP, the White House said in a statement that Biden and Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, had both been briefed and will be kept updated on the investigation, adding that they are “relieved to know that he is safe.”
“The President and Vice President have been briefed about the security incident at the Trump International Golf Course, where former President Trump was golfing. They are relieved to know that he is safe. They will be kept regularly updated by their team,” the White House said in a statement.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Harris condemned the incident stating “violence has no place in America.”
“I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America,” she wrote.
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The U.S. Secret Service (USSS) announced on Sunday that it was investigating “a protective incident involving Trump that occurred shortly before 2 p.m.” with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, adding that Trump is “safe.”
The incident reportedly involved two people who exchanged gunfire outside of Trump’s golf course and the shots were targeted at each other, not Trump, the New York Post reported, citing law enforcement sources.
According to the AP, local authorities, including the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, have confirmed there were no injuries.
The shooting comes roughly two months after a failed Trump assassination attempt at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a bullet grazed his ear. Trump was speaking at the rally on July 13 when he was shot on stage, with a bullet hitting the upper part of his right ear. The gunman, identified by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was shot and killed by the Secret Service. A rally attendee, 50-year-old former firefighter Corey Comperatore, was also killed during the incident and two others were injured.
Since then, it has since sparked debate about the efficiency of the Secret Service and raised questions about the level of protection Trump and other presidential candidates receive, which resulted in the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle in July as the Republican-led House Oversight Committee launched an investigation into the shooting.
Security concerns have continued to be raised as the 2024 election continues with various public and outdoor events as security around Trump has been significantly tightened, with increased measures at his public appearances, including the use of bulletproof enclosures during outdoor speeches.
This is a developing news story and will be updated with more information.
Update: 9/15/24, 3:57 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information
