Gunman Exploits Security Flaw at Trump’s Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Leading to Near Assassination Attempt

A gunman, armed with an SKS rifle, was able to exploit a known security vulnerability around former President Donald Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course, coming alarmingly close to the former president before Secret Service agents intervened.

Then-President Donald Trump playing golf on Dec. 28, 2020, at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach — the same club where the Secret Service foiled an assassination attempt this week. REUTERS/Marco Bello

The incident occurred while Trump played a round at the Trump International Golf Club, a location that news photographers have easily accessed without stringent Secret Service oversight.

Photographers have been able to snap clear shots of Trump from as close as 75 yards, often unnoticed by the Secret Service. One source noted how “shockingly easy” it is to evade security and capture images of Trump from various gaps in the thick brush lining the perimeter of the golf course.

Photojournalists have long been able to get pictures of Trump golfing from the perimeter of his courses. REUTERS

Photographers usually announce their presence to the Secret Service to avoid being mistaken for threats, though agents are reportedly easy to evade.

This security flaw became a serious concern after 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh set up a sniper nest within 300 to 500 yards of Trump, just outside the golf course’s fence along Summit Boulevard.

An example of an opening on the edge of Trump International Golf Club. MEGA

After spending 12 hours undetected, Routh was spotted by Secret Service snipers, who noticed his gun barrel sticking through a chain-link fence. The agents opened fire, prompting Routh to flee the scene.

An example of an opening on the edge of Trump International Golf Club. MEGA

He was later apprehended on I-95, 40 miles from the course, following a tip from an eyewitness who photographed Routh’s vehicle.

The incident marks the second recent close call involving Trump’s security. Two months earlier, another gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired eight shots at Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing his ear.

According a photo agency source, photographers are often amazed at how “easy” it is for them to get clear views of Trump. MEGA

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw addressed the security lapse, noting that Trump’s protective detail is lighter because he is no longer the sitting president. “At this level, he’s not the commander in chief,” Bradshaw said, explaining that the level of protection would have been higher if Trump were still president.

Another opening between hole 5 and 6 at the course — the same hole where the shooter was waiting, MEGA

Ryan Routh in police custody after getting arrested on I-95. MARTIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE/AFP via Getty Images

Routh was able to get within 500 yards of Trump at the edge of the course. MARTIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE/AFP via Getty Images

Trump’s Florida golf courses are popular destinations for photographers partly because of how easy it is to get close to him and his entourage for the perfect snapshot, sources tell The Post. DAMON HIGGINS/THE PALM BEACH DAILY NEWS / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Law enforcement shut down the roads adjacent to Trump’s West Palm Beach golf resort after the assassination attempt. AP

A law enforcement officer at the scene of the assassination attempt in West Palm Beach on Sept. 15, 2024. MEGA

Trump on a cart at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on July 28, 2022. Daniel William McKnight

A sniper stands sentry at Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., on Sept. 13, 2024. AP

Trump seen golfing at Trump National Doral Miami golf club with his granddaughter Kai and professional golfer Brooks Koepka on Oct. 27, 2022.

Routh appeared in federal court in Florida on Monday, shackled and smiling, facing felony gun charges.