Former President Donald Trump pointed the blame at Vice President Kamala Harris , his 2024 rival, and President Joe Biden , whose "rhetoric" he claims indirectly led to a second assassination attempt.
"He believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it," Trump told Fox News Digital about the gunman's motive. "Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country, and they are the ones that are destroying the country — both from the inside and out."
Gunshots were fired in the former president's vicinity at the Trump National Golf Club in Florida on Sunday, but authorities were able to detain the suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, after a witness spotted him. Trump and his assailant were separated by 400 to 500 yards, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.
The FBI is investigating the details surrounding the attack against Trump on Sunday while the Secret Service is also conducting a separate investigation with help from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) also announced a state investigation .
In July, Trump survived his first assassination attempt while campaigning in Butler, Pennsylvania. But in the wake of the second attack, the congressional task force investigating the Butler assassination attempt is expanding its investigation into Sunday’s attempt as well.
The former president pointed to Biden's and Harris's past comments calling him a "threat to democracy" as hypocritical, citing his four criminal cases as proof that they are inciting violence against him.
"They are the opposite," Trump said. "These are people that want to destroy our country."
"They do it with a combination of rhetoric and lawsuits they wrap me up in," Trump added. "These are the things that dangerous fools, like the shooter, listen to — that is the rhetoric they listen to, and the same with the first one."
Trump also warned his Democratic foes that he, too, could resort to inflammatory language but is refraining from doing so. "They use highly inflammatory language," he said. "I can use it, too, far better than they can, but I don’t."
Earlier Monday morning, Trump asked supporters to back his 2024 campaign financially by reprising his fighter rallying cry.
On his social media platform Truth Social , the former president posted a simple message Monday morning: "FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!!!!! DonaldJTrump.com ."
The link takes supporters to a fundraising website on which Trump orders readers to "fear not!"
"I am safe and well, and no one was hurt. Thank God!" the website continues. "I will never stop fighting for you. I will never surrender."
The Truth Social post follows a fundraising email the former president pushed out Sunday in the aftermath of the attempt on his life.
It also echoes his response to the first attack against his life in July in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he stuck his fist out after a gunshot pierced his ear while onstage for a campaign rally. The message will likely rile up Trump's GOP base, which came to his aid following the Butler attack.
Biden said Monday morning that the Secret Service needs more assistance in the aftermath of the second attack on Trump.
“One thing I want to make clear is: The service needs more help. And I think Congress should respond to their need,” he told reporters.
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Harris said she was " deeply disturbed " by the attack in a statement Sunday evening.
"As we gather the facts, I will be clear: I condemn political violence. We all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence," she said. "I am thankful that former President Trump is safe."
Brady Knox contributed to this report.
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