President Donald Trump has decided to temporarily hang up his golf clubs, pledging not to return to the course until after the election. This decision comes in the wake of a second assassination attempt on his life at his Florida golf course in September. Following the incident, federal agents informed the 2024 GOP nominee that they could no longer guarantee his safety while he played, NBC News reported.
Trump was briefed in two separate meetings by federal law enforcement, including Ronald Rowe, the acting director of the Secret Service, and a national intelligence official. They strongly advised him to cease golfing due to the security risks posed by his courses being close to public roads, which would require significantly enhanced security measures. Rowe explained that protecting Trump in such open, public areas would be extremely difficult, according to The New York Times.
Despite his love for the sport—Trump owns 18 golf properties worldwide and frequently plays with his children and grandchildren—he has agreed to the security recommendations. Golf has been a central part of his life, particularly since leaving the White House and making his Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach his permanent residence. However, the sport has also become a vulnerability, with bad actors using it as an opportunity to target him.
The most recent incident occurred on September 18, when suspect Ryan Wesley Routh was arrested for attempting to assassinate Trump while he was playing golf at Mar-a-Lago. Secret Service agents spotted Routh hiding in the bushes with an assault rifle aimed at Trump. Shots were fired, and Routh fled before being captured by law enforcement. A letter allegedly written by Routh detailed his plan to kill Trump, and he has since pleaded not guilty to the charges.
This marked the second assassination attempt in a matter of months. In July, Trump narrowly escaped injury during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when would-be assassin Thomas Crooks was neutralized by a sniper. The former president was grazed in the ear during the attack. Federal authorities have since warned Trump that both domestic and foreign actors continue to pose significant threats to his life.
