After the Secret Service stopped a gunman who was stalking former President Donald Trump at the Trump International Golf Club in Florida, the Washington Post reported that the Secret Service had long been “concerned” about Trump’s golf outings, both during and after his time as president.
After all, golf courses are wide-open spaces, usually close to cities, and securing a perimeter around them can be challenging.
“Trump pitches and putts at his own private clubs, elite enclaves that are nevertheless open to some members of the public and their guests. The courses are located in heavily trafficked communities. And while they’re surrounded by some fencing, the greens lack hardened perimeters,” the Post report said. “The result is a security nightmare for the Secret Service and their partners in local law enforcement, especially without the added staff and tools devoted to protecting the sitting president.”
Barack Obama, as president, played most of his golf rounds at military bases, both Joint Base Andrews in Maryland other bases in Hawaii.
Donald Trump Is Quitting Golf on His Own Courses – The Daily Beast. That will save Americans a few $mill but he’ll come up with another way to scam American taxpayers https://t.co/bV6bOI4yfF
— Darwin Waditaka (@waditaka_darwin) September 26, 2024
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“If photographers with long-range lenses could get the president in their sights while he golfed, so, too, could potential gunmen,” members of the Secret Service had warned, per the Post. The Secret Service, however, successfully intercepted the assassination attempt, and Ryan Wesley Routh, who has been charged with the crime, did not get anywhere close to Trump.
Now, it appears Trump will be taking further precautions by not golfing at his own clubs at all.
According to the New York Times, Trump is considering changes to his routine in response to the two assassination attempts as well as reports that Iran has threatened his life, in retaliation for his ordering the killing of Qassim Suleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, in 2020.
Prosecutors have charged Ryan Routh with attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a Florida golf course. Judge Aileen Cannon will oversee the case. https://t.co/4QcFoDqdo2
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) September 24, 2024
In addition to changes to his travel routine, per the Times report, Trump “has told advisers he is not planning to play golf — his main source of relaxation — at his courses.”
It’s not clear whether Trump has made this change just for the duration of the presidential campaign, or over a longer period of time.
Should Trump stick to that pledge, and he loses the election, it would raise questions about what Trump will do with his time.
Photo courtesy of Political Tribune photo library.
