Trump blames Democrat ‘rhetoric’ as suspect in assassination attempt charged with gun crimes: Live updates

Donald Trump was the subject of a second 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 Pennsylvania.

A man was spotted aiming an AK-47-type rifle at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf resort while concealed in shrubbery about 400 to 500 yards away from the politician 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.

The suspect has since been named as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, who is 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.

Routh appeared in court in West Palm Beach on Monday and was charged with two gun offences.