Trump Blamed Biden and Harris of Inciting Second Assassination Attempt: ‘Their Rhetoric Is Putting Me in Danger’

Former President Donald Trump claimed on Monday that the recent assassination attempt against him was motivated by the political rhetoric of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump, 78, made these comments during an interview with Fox News after an armed man was discovered near his golf course on Sunday.

“He believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it,” said Trump, the Republican presidential nominee for 2024. He further stated, “Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at when I am the one who is going to save the country, and they are the ones destroying it — both from the inside and out.”

Authorities identified the suspect as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, who was found hiding in the bushes near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course, armed with a tactical rifle, a scope, and a GoPro camera.

According to Trump, Routh’s actions were heavily influenced by language that echoed the statements of Biden and Harris. He accused the current administration of inciting violence by framing him as a threat to American democracy.

Ryan Routh, 58, after authorities in Florida apprehended him. Martin County Sheriff’s Office

“These are people that want to destroy our country,” Trump said, referring to Biden and Harris. “It is called the enemy from within. They are the real threat.”

Routh had posted numerous political comments on social media and appeared in media interviews in recent years regarding his efforts to recruit Afghans to aid Ukraine in its fight against Russia. In April, Routh echoed the Biden campaign slogan, writing, “DEMOCRACY is on the ballot, and we cannot lose.”

President Biden, 81, repeatedly used the phrase “democracy is on the ballot” before stepping aside from his 2024 re-election bid on July 21 and endorsing Harris as his successor.

Vice President Harris, 59, has also accused Trump of posing a threat to democracy, both before and after another attack on the former president during a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. In that incident, a 20-year-old suspect opened fire with a semiautomatic rifle, grazing Trump with a bullet. The motive for that attack remains unclear.

Routh tweeted that “DEMOCRACY is on the ballot.” Ryan Routh / Linkedin

On July 9, just days before the first assassination attempt, Harris said at an event in Las Vegas, “Donald Trump wants to turn our democracy into a dictatorship.” She reiterated concerns about democracy being under threat, making similar statements throughout July.

The rhetoric surrounding Trump’s refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election, particularly the events of the January 6 Capitol riot, has been a focal point for Biden and Harris.

Critics argue that the two have taken Trump’s comments out of context, especially regarding his alleged “bloodbath” threat. Trump has clarified that he was referring to the potential impact of the election on the auto industry, not a violent outcome.

Neither Biden nor Harris has commented on the similarities between Routh’s language and their own campaign messages.

Routh’s social media history reveals a complex political evolution. In 2020, he described himself as a disillusioned former Trump supporter who had backed the former president in the 2016 election. More recently, he advocated for an independent presidential ticket featuring former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.

The investigation into the attempted assassination is ongoing, with authorities probing Routh’s motives and background.

Sola Adeniji

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