Suspect did not fire shots and never had sight of Trump, says Secret Service chief Ronald Rowe Jr, acting director of the Secret Service, said that once an agent detected Routh armed with a rifle, he discharged his firearm before the 58-year-old fled. “He did not fire or get off any shots at our agent,” Rowe said. “With reports of gunfire, the former president’s close protection detail immediately evacuated the president to a safe location.” Rowe also told reporters that Trump was “out of sight of the gunman” during his unscheduled visit to the golf club. “The protective methodologies of the Secret Service were effective yesterday,” Rowe added. Biden has spoken with Trump – White House A White House official says that Biden has spoken with Trump following the apparent assassination attempt. According to the press pool, the White House said, “Biden just spoke with former President Trump, and conveyed his relief that he is safe. The two shared a cordial conversation and former President Trump expressed his thanks for the call.” Summary If you’re just joining us, here is where things stand: Federal prosecutors have brought gun charges against Ryan Wesley Routh, who was arrested yesterday in Florida after what investigators believe may have been a potential assassination attempt against Donald Trump. In charging documents, an FBI special agent said that Routh’s cellphone spent nearly 12 hours in the vicinity of the tree line at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, and that he had previously been convicted in North Carolina on a felony charge of possessing “a weapon of mass death and destruction” after being found with a fully automatic gun. Trump sought to use the incident, in which he was not injured, to his advantage, telling Fox News that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were to blame because they’ve described him as a threat to democracy for his attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss. Here’s what else has happened today: The sheriff’s office in Martin county, Florida, shared footage of the moment that Routh was arrested yesterday. Biden spoke briefly to reporters about the incident, saying the Secret Service should be given more resources, perhaps personnel. Harris said she was “deeply disturbed by the possible assassination attempt” targeting Trump. In addition to blaming Democrats, Trump is fundraising off the potential assassination attempt. Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s Democratic majority leader, said more funding for the Secret Service could be included in a spending bill under negotiation with House Republicans. Springfield, Ohio, has had its annual celebration of cultural diversity canceled after the city became a target for criticism of the Biden administration’s border policies. Ronald Rowe from the Secret Service said he has “ordered a paradigm shift”. He said that the current methodologies work and described them as “sound”, but called on a reevaluation amid the current “dynamic threat environment”. Earlier, he said that the Secret Service constantly evaluates their methodologies “based on threat.” Trump was not scheduled to be at the golf course on Sunday, Rowe said. When reporters asked if Routh knew whether Trump was going to be at the golf course at that time, Rowe responded: “It’s an active investigation. I don’t have any information on that subject.” Routh “did not fire or get off any shots at our agent,” Rowe said. “With reports of gunfire, the former president’s close protection detail immediately evacuated the president to a safe location.” Rowe also told reporters that Trump was “out of sight of the gunman” during his unscheduled visit to the golf club. This is Helen Sullivan taking over the Guardian’s live US politics coverage. An annual celebration of cultural diversity in Springfield, Ohio, has been canceled after the city became a target for criticism of the Biden administration’s border policies. JD Vance, the Republican nominee for vice president, and Donald Trump have spread false claims that Haitian migrants were eating pets in Springfield, causing the city to receive a series of bomb threats. “In light of recent threats and safety concerns, the City of Springfield has made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s CultureFest celebration,” reads a statement posted on Facebook by city officials on Monday. “The decision was made with the utmost consideration for the safety and well-being of our community and event participants.” CultureFest, scheduled for September 27 and September 28, is an event intended to celebrate diversity, arts and local culture. Shortly after Donald Trump became president, authorities tried to warn him about the risks of golfing at his own courses because of their proximity to public roads, according to The Washington Post. The agents told him that if photographers with long-range lenses could capture images of the president on the course, potential gunmen could do the same. Despite these warnings, Trump reportedly insisted that his clubs were safe and decided to keep golfing in them. Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect in what the FBI has called an “attempted assassination”, previously made a series of donations to Democratic presidential candidates in the 2020 elections, according to Federal Election Commission records. The documents show that Routh donated to campaigns supporting Elizabeth Warren, Andrew Yang, Tulsi Gabbard, Beto O’Rourke, and Tom Steyer. The donations, which did not exceed $25, were made between September 2019 and March 2020, according to the records. Rowe defends Secret Service actions but has "ordered a paradigm shift" due to new threat levels Ronald Rowe from the Secret Service said he has “ordered a paradigm shift”. He said that the current methodologies work and described them as “sound”, but called on a reevaluation amid the current “dynamic threat environment”. Earlier, he said that the Secret Service constantly evaluates their methodologies “based on threat.” Trump golf club visit was unscheduled, says Rowe Ronald Rowe said that former president Donald Trump was not scheduled to be at the golf course on Sunday. When reporters asked if Routh knew whether Trump was going to be at the golf course at that time, Rowe responded: “It’s an active investigation. I don’t have any information on that subject.” Suspect did not fire shots and never had sight of Trump, says Secret Service chief Ronald Rowe Jr, acting director of the Secret Service, said that once an agent detected Routh armed with a rifle, he discharged his firearm before the 58-year-old fled. “He did not fire or get off any shots at our agent,” Rowe said. “With reports of gunfire, the former president’s close protection detail immediately evacuated the president to a safe location.” Rowe also told reporters that Trump was “out of sight of the gunman” during his unscheduled visit to the golf club. “The protective methodologies of the Secret Service were effective yesterday,” Rowe added. Jeffrey B Veltri, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Miami field office, took the stage, stating that the agency is investigating the event as “an apparent assassination attempt of former president Trump”. “We view this as extremely serious and are determined to provide as to what led up to the events that took place,” he said. Veltri stated that Routh was the subject of an investigation in 2019 by the FBI based on a tip that he was in possession of a firearm. “In the area of the tree line from where Routh fled, agents found a digital camera, a backpack, a loaded SKS-style rifle with a scope and a black plastic bag containing food,” Lapointe said. He also said Routh was convicted of felonies in North Carolina in December 2002 and March 2010. Routh was prohibited from carrying a firearm amid these felonies, according to Lapointe. Law enforcement press conference on apparent Trump assassination attempt US attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the southern district of Florida is providing an update about the apparent assassination attempt on former Donald Trump at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. Lapointe confirmed that Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was charged with gun-related offenses. He had an appearance in court this morning in West Palm Beach. Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate minority leader from Kentucky, issued a statement regarding the potential assassination attempt against Donald Trump, describing this week as “a time to reflect on the ways that our political process has been infected by reprehensible violence”. “For the second time in as many months, law enforcement faces an even more urgent task: completing a thorough, swift and transparent investigation into the circumstances of yesterday’s close call,” he said. “The American people deserve answers. They deserve assurance that a former President who tens of millions of Americans have nominated once again will receive every appropriate measure of security,” he added.