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White House says both President Biden and Trump’s rival Kamala Harris were ‘relieved’ to know Trump is safe.
The United States Secret Service has said former President Donald Trump is safe after gunshots were reported in his vicinity as he played golf at his resort in Florida.
The Secret Service said the incident occurred before 2pm local time (18:00 GMT) on Sunday and that it was investigating.
“The former president is safe,” the agency said.
In a statement, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said: “President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity. No further details at this time.”
Trump had been golfing at his course in West Palm Beach, Florida, not far from his Mar-a-Lago residence, during a day away from the presidential campaign, multiple media reports said.
The shooting took place on the grounds of the golf course, and a “person of interest” has been detained along with a weapon, the New York Times reported, citing local law enforcement officials.
The Associated Press news agency said US Secret Service agents opened fire after seeing a person with a firearm near Trump’s golf club, citing two unnamed law enforcement sources, adding that no injuries were reported.
‘Violence has no place in America’
The White House said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, had both been briefed and would be kept updated on the investigation.
The White House added that both Biden and Harris were “relieved” to know Trump is safe. “Violence has no place in America,” Harris said in a post on X.
Trump was injured in an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania on July 13. A bullet grazed his right ear and one person attending the rally was killed in the gunfire.
The gunman, identified as a 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, was also killed by a Secret Service sniper.
But the attack raised questions about protection for the candidates just months ahead of what is likely to be highly contested November 5 election in which he will face-off against Harris.
Kimberly Cheatle was forced to resign as Secret Service director under bipartisan congressional pressure. The agency’s new acting director said in August he was “ashamed” of a security lapse that had led to the assassination attempt on Trump.
