Biden directs US Secret Service to protect Trump
According to information from the White House press department, US President Joe Biden has directed the US Secret Service to provide all necessary resources to continue to ensure the safety of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
According to TASS news agency on September 16, the US leader said: "As I have stated many times, there is no place for political violence or any form of violence in our country. I have directed my team to continue to ensure that the Secret Service has the resources, capabilities and protective measures necessary to ensure the safety of the former president."
"I have been briefed on federal law enforcement investigating an attempted assassination of former President Trump today. A suspect has been arrested, and I commend the work of the Secret Service and their law enforcement partners for their diligence and efforts to keep the former president and those around him safe. I am relieved to learn that the former president was not injured. There is an ongoing investigation to gather more details about what happened," Biden said.
Earlier, the FBI said they were investigating a shooting that occurred in the area near Mr. Trump and considered it an assassination attempt. According to the FBI, their agents were present in West Palm Beach, Florida and were investigating the incident. The US Secret Service confirmed that their agents opened fire on an armed suspect near the former US President's golf course.
The New York Post also cited sources saying that the US Secret Service spotted a suspicious individual near Trump's golf course "and opened fire when agents saw what appeared to be a gun barrel." The suspect was later arrested by local police.
An assassination attempt on Trump took place on July 13 at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A bullet grazed the former president's ear. A Trump supporter was killed in the shooting. The attacker, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot dead by Secret Service agents.
The US presidential election is scheduled to take place on November 5. Incumbent President Joe Biden had intended to represent the Democratic Party in the election, but he decided to withdraw from the race after the June debate with Mr. Trump, who later became the Republican presidential candidate. In July, Mr. Biden announced that he would not run for re-election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him. The Democratic Party officially nominated Ms. Harris in early August.