
In an interview with Fox News, Trump blamed the President Biden and Vice-President Harris for the attack.
“He believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it,” Trump told Fox News.
“Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at,” he said, “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.”
Both President Biden and Vice-President Harris condemned the incident.
In a statement after the assassination attempt Sunday, Biden described himself as “relieved” that Trump was unharmed and said: “I have directed my team to continue to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President’s continued safety.”
Vice-President Harris said in a statement she was “deeply disturbed” by the attempted assassination and that she was “thankful that former President Trump is safe.”
“We all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence,” she said.
The alleged gunman was able to get within about 300-500 yards (275-460m) of Trump.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw has pointed out that Trump does not receive the same level of protection that a sitting president does.
“If he was, we would have had this entire golf course surrounded,” he said.
Former Secret Service agents have suggested to the BBC that Trump needs more protection than other former presidents, given that is running for the White House again.
“We now have to re-evaluate,” said former agent Barry Donadio. “Should all these candidates get the same presidential protective package? I think that’s probably going to have to be the answer.”
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, a former senior member of the Secret Service, Robert McDonald, agreed that the agency had a “good day” despite Trump’s would-be assailant getting relatively close to the former president.
The assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in July led to the resignation Kimberly Cheatle, the Secret Service chief who admitted that the agency had its “most significant operational failure” in decades.
Her replacement, Ronald Rowe, is on his way to Florida, according to US media reports.
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