Suspect in second Trump assassination attempt appears in court: Live updates

Speaking as he left the White House this morning, President Joe Biden again expressed his relief and thanked God that Trump had not been harmed, said he had not yet received a full report on yesterday’s events and commented that the much-criticised US Secret Service might require more support.

“One thing I want to make clear: the Service needs more help,” the commander-in-chief said.

“And I think that Congress should respond to their needs if they in fact need more service people.

“They’re deciding whether they need more personnel or not.”

Routh is “wearing dark prison scrubs and with his hands and feet shackled”, per CNN.

Martin County Sheriff’s Office released this new photo of the suspect a little while ago.

The British commentator has reacted with fury after Rachel Vindman, the wife of whistleblower Alexander Vindman, made a joke about the latest assassination attempt on Trump.

Here’s Greg Evans to explain.

It’s possible Ryan Wesley Routh could appear in court later today.

Meanwhile, acting US Secret Service director Ronald Rowe, who replaced Kimberly Cheatle after Butler fiasco, has said he will be in Florida to oversee the investigation for as long as it takes, reviewing the golf course and the suspect’s movements this afternoon.

The tech entrepreneur has deleted what he now claims was a “joke” about how “no one is trying to assassinate” President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris following the second attempt on Donald Trump’s life on Sunday.

The former president and his sons Donald Jr and Eric were due to be unveiling their new cryptocurrency project “World Liberty Financial” at his Florida golf course later today and, so far, we have not heard about any change to their plans.

Here’s Anthony Cuthbertson on Trump’s latest dubious business venture.

Here’s our updated profile of Ryan Wesley Routh by Tom Watling, Justin Rohrlich, Gustaf Kilander and Rhian Lubin as more details continue to emerge about his background.

If you’re just joining us, Donald Trump was the subject of another apparent assassination attempt at one of his golf courses in Florida on Sunday, the FBI has said.

The former president is safe and unharmed and the bureau says it is investigating the latest security episode involving the Republican presidential nominee, just nine weeks after he survived a previous attempt on his life when he was shot in the ear by a sniper at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

A man was spotted aiming an AK-47-type rifle at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course while concealed in shrubbery about 400 to 500 yards away from the politician yesterday when he was spotted by Secret Service agents who opened fire as he fled the scene.

He was later stopped in a Nissan SUV by police and taken into custody in a neighboring county, according to local sheriff Ric Bradshaw.

The suspect has since been named as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, with the alleged gunman believed to have criticised Trump on social media and expressed his willingness to “fight and die” in Ukraine, a cause in which he appears to have been intensely invested.

Authorities have since found two backpacks hanging on a fence and a GoPro camera at the scene.

Here’s John Bowden’s report.