Gov. DeSantis promises Florida will independently investigate Donald Trump assassination attempt

desantis trump
A man was arrested in Florida after a second apparent attempt on the presidential candidate's life in Palm Beach County.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said his administration will oversee its own investigation into the attempted assignation of Donald Trump in Florida.

“The State of Florida will be conducting its own investigation regarding the attempted assassination at Trump International Golf Club,” DeSantis posted on X.

“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 nominee.”

Trump was unhurt after an apparent attempt on his life. Authorities said a man pointed an AK-style rifle at Trump at the West Palm Beach golf club. Trump was safe and unharmed. He told news media after the incident that he heard shots and the Secret Service rushed him to the ground and piled on top of him.

DeSantis at a Monday press conference said he has not spoken to Trump since the incident, but said it was important for the state to do an investigation independent of the federal government. He noted that this attempt took place in a jurisdiction where a Special Prosecutor is still seeking charges against Trump over allegations that he wrongly kept classified documents at his Palm Beach County estate.

“I understand that the feds are involved, but we do believe there were multiple violations of state law. We also believe that there’s a need to make sure that the truth about all this comes out in a way that’s credible,” DeSantis said.

“The federal government, with all due respect to them, those same agencies that are prosecuting Trump in that jurisdiction are now going to be investigating this. I just think that may not be the best thing for this country. Nevertheless, they have their prerogative, but we have our prerogative, and so we’ll be making an announcement further along those lines in the ensuing days.”

Martin County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Ryan Wesley Routh shortly after shots were fired at a golf course, where Trump was playing a hole. Routh was found driving away in a neighboring county.

The incident will be investigated by law enforcement. Additionally, a special U.S. House Committee already empaneled to investigate an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania earlier this year has said it will investigate. That panel includes three Florida lawmakers: U.S. Reps. Laurel Lee, Jared Moskowitz and Michael Waltz.

After that committee was appointed, U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, a New Smyrna Beach Republican, organized his own group of House Representatives that has independently scrutinized security lapses around the Pennsylvania shooting, where a bullet hurt Trump’s ear and an event attendee was killed.

At the federal level, the Justice Department also said Attorney General Merrick Garland will closely follow developments on the investigation.

Details of what a Florida investigation will entail were not immediately announced, but DeSantis will likely discuss the matter more on Monday.

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Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Jacob Ogles

Jacob Ogles has covered politics in Florida since 2000 for regional outlets including SRQ Magazine in Sarasota, The News-Press in Fort Myers and The Daily Commercial in Leesburg. His work has appeared nationally in The Advocate, Wired and other publications. Events like SRQ’s Where The Votes Are workshops made Ogles one of Southwest Florida’s most respected political analysts, and outlets like WWSB ABC 7 and WSRQ Sarasota have featured his insights. He can be reached at [email protected].


11 comments

  • Dont Say FLA

    September 16, 2024 at 8:48 am

    Investigation completed. It was a disgruntled trans drag queen sent back home from going to read books to kids at a library after being turned away due to being a trans drag queen.

    Oh, wait, no. It was a disgruntled 2016 Trump voter who became disgruntled as a result of Trump being Trump and doing Trump stuff, and then became further disgruntled as the 2024 GOP Primary cast his preferred candidate Vivek Ramaswaneater and Nikki Haley aside and picked, once again, Trump.

  • Mark

    September 16, 2024 at 9:14 am

    Cool. They can verify his signature while they are at it. Great work, Rhonda!

  • FLPatriot

    September 16, 2024 at 9:38 am

    More wasted funds.

  • Dont Say FLA

    September 16, 2024 at 10:22 am

    Has Rhonda solved trans drag queens and library books yet, though? He’s got quite a backlog of “problems” to solve

  • Yrral

    September 16, 2024 at 10:48 am

    This guy was a disgruntled MAGA supporters of who voted for him in 2016

    • Dont Say FLA

      September 16, 2024 at 12:04 pm

      You can tell exactly how many MAGAs came to the realization they got conned by a con man.

      It’s two. And perhaps counting, but so far? Just two.

  • ScienceBLVR

    September 16, 2024 at 11:28 am

    Another desperate plea for attention from our irrelevant governor.. if only it didn’t cost the rest of us money..

  • Yrral

    September 16, 2024 at 12:29 pm

    He probably have found his wife G spot,how clueless a man ,spent 160 million on a lost cause

  • Josh Green

    September 16, 2024 at 12:57 pm

    LOL, stay in your lane Ron and let the Feds handle this.

    We all see right through this anyway. It’s so that despite what the official investigation turns up, you can try to pin it one some woke trans immigrant. We see you.

  • Rude Eye

    September 16, 2024 at 5:32 pm

    What do expect from a fellow MAGAT?

  • Vote yes on amendment 4

    September 16, 2024 at 7:16 pm

    Ronnie give it up. You’re done and so is your political career! Vote yes on amendment 4

Comments are closed.


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