Trump thanks Secret Service – but is he protected enough?

The US Secret Service has been praised by Donald Trump after foiling what the FBI is calling an attempted assassination.

The suspected gunman – named by US media as Ryan Routh – was spotted by agents in the bushes of Trump’s golf course on Sunday afternoon in Florida. The Republican presidential nominee was playing several hundred metres away.

Agents opened fire on the suspect, who fled and was later arrested.

Speaking to the BBC, one former agent said the Secret Service had a “good day”, but asked whether Trump was receiving enough protection in the wake of another attempt on his life about two months ago.

That incident led to the resignation of the Secret Service director.

The gunman was spotted by Secret Service agents, who were sweeping the Trump International Golf Club golf course ahead of the former president as part of their normal procedure.

The barrel of a rifle was spotted sticking through the shrubbery that lines the course. At the time Trump was about 300-500 yards (275-460m) away from the gunman, said Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.

It remains unclear whether the gunman fired a shot.

An agent “immediately engaged” with the person holding the rifle, who fled, the sheriff added. “The Secret Service did exactly what should have been done.”

Agents fired several rounds after spotting the suspect. He fled, abandoning his weapon and other items, and was spotted later in his car after a witness provided a photo of the vehicle to local law enforcement.

He was apprehended by police on Interstate 95, roughly 61km (38 miles) from Trump’s golf course, and was identified in US media as Ryan Routh.

Trump told supporters he was safe and well, and thanked the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies for an “incredible job”.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, a former senior member of the Secret Service, Robert McDonald, agreed that the agency had a “good day” despite Trump’s would-be assailant getting relatively close to the former president.

Trump does not receive the same level of protection that a sitting president does, Sheriff Bradshaw pointed out. “If he was, we would have had this entire golf course surrounded,” he said.

But two former Secret Service agents said Trump needs more protection than other former presidents, given that he was running for the White House again.

“We now have to re-evaluate,” Barry Donadio told BBC News. “Should all these candidates get the same presidential protective package? I think that’s probably going to have to be the answer.”

McDonald agreed. He said the risk of “copycat” attacks prompted questions: “Is someone going to get a tiny bit closer, is somebody going to have another high-powered rifle and is somebody going to be able to inflict some serious damage?”

Politicians across the divide felt the same, with New York Congressman Ritchie Torres, a Democrat, saying Trump required “maximum protection”.

But a friend of Trump suggested there were dangers in Trump golfing. Chris Ruddy, the CEO of conservative news outlet Newsmax, said the course was a “very large… sprawling area” that would take a “mini army” to lock down.

Questions about whether Trump needed a higher-level security detail were raised after another attempt on his life during a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this year.

On 13 July, Trump was shot in the ear at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, also killed a crowd member and critically wounded two others.

Anger over the Secret Service’s handling of the shooting ultimately led to the resignation of US Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle. She has, for now, been replaced by acting director of the Secret Service Ronald Rowe Jr.

BBC North America editor Sarah Smith said the agency would face renewed questions. It may argue that it lacked resources – despite purportedly having better resources than it did eight weeks ago.

The incident has been condemned by Trump’s allies and his rival for the presidency, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.

The government “will ensure the Secret Service has every resource, capability, and protective measure necessary to carry out its critical mission,” Harris said.

Members of a congressional task force looking into the attempted assassination in July said they have requested a briefing this afternoon with the Secret Service.

Meanwhile, the FBI and state of Florida have announced investigations.

“The people deserve the truth about the would-be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP (Republican) nominee,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis wrote.

The area around the golf course is under lockdown and a heavy security presence is in place around Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.