WEST PALM BEACH, Florida: Donald Trump on Monday blamed his election rival Kamala Harris and US President Joe Biden after he was targeted in a second apparent assassination attempt, saying their “rhetoric” about him endangering democracy is to blame. Trump’s rapid politicization of Sunday’s incident, in which a man allegedly planned to fire on the Republican while he played golf in Florida, guaranteed that tensions ahead of the presidential election in seven weeks would continue to boil. Both Biden and Harris have denounced the apparent assassination bid. The suspect, identified by police as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, was arrested soon after being spotted while hiding with an assault-style rifle at the edge of Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach. US Secret Service agents opened fire, not hitting him, and he fled before surrendering without a struggle.

On Monday, Routh appeared in court where he was informed he was being charged with illegal firearms possession. He appeared calm and did not speak, other than to say “yes” a few times to questions from the judge. The FBI announced that it is also probing “what appears to be an attempted assassination”.

This follows an attempt targeting Trump two months ago at a rally in Pennsylvania. The former president was grazed by a bullet in that attack, which also saw a supporter in the crowd killed before the lone gunman was shot dead by return fire. Trump — who was not hurt in Sunday’s event — told Fox News Digital that rhetoric from Biden and Harris “is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country”.

Trump, 78, referred to frequent comments that he poses a “threat to democracy”. Biden and Harris have described Trump as a danger over his refusal to concede defeat to Biden in 2020 and his campaign to classify the mob of his supporters that stormed Congress in 2021 as political dissidents. Trump—whose main election message against Harris is built on dark warnings about immigrant “invasion” and claims that the United States is a “failing nation” that only he can save — said his opponents “use highly inflammatory language”. “I can use it too — far better than they can — but I don’t,” he added.

At the White House earlier Monday, Biden had told reporters “thank God the president is OK”. But the Secret Service “needs more help,” he said, “and I think Congress should respond to their needs”. The protective service came under severe criticism after the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, in which the shooter was able to climb onto a nearby roof overlooking the rally.

As a major party candidate and former president, Trump has a sizeable security detail but smaller than that of a sitting president. This meant the bodyguards could not cordon off the entire golf course, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said, explaining how the suspect was able to get to within a few hundred yards of Trump before being intercepted.

The would-be attacker has a lengthy criminal record, according to US media, and was obsessed with the Ukrainian cause. He traveled to Ukraine, claiming he wanted to volunteer and was recruiting foreign fighters to help repel Russia’s invasion, giving numerous media interviews, including to AFP in 2022. However, there is no evidence that he ever fought there or was able to join the Ukrainian military. His social media presence indicates a wide variety of political affiliations at home.

The intensity of threats is rising as the presidential race enters its final weeks and polls continue to indicate a tight finish on Nov 5. The latest twist follows days of tension in the Ohio town of Springfield as a result of conspiracy theories stoked by Trump and his running mate JD Vance about the local Haitian immigrant community. Schools and other public institutions have been repeatedly shut down there since Thursday after receiving threats.

There are also broader worries that Trump will again refuse to concede if he loses to Harris, stoking a repeat of the violence on January 6, 2021, when his supporters stormed Congress to try and stop certification of Biden’s victory two months earlier. Trump used Sunday’s incident to appeal for campaign funds, posting on social media Monday: “FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!!!!!” and “Donate Today!” – AFP