Trump shooting live: ‘would-be assassin’ targets president’s dinner

Trump assassination attempt: Gunman arrested outside president’s Mar-a-Lago dinner

Muhammad Asghar | GlobalBeat

A man armed with a rifle was arrested outside Mar-a-Lago on Friday night while President Trump hosted a private dinner inside his Florida resort.

The suspect pointed his weapon at Secret Service agents before being tackled and disarmed, Palm Beach Police Chief Michael Ogrodnick told reporters early Saturday.

The arrest marks the second apparent assassination attempt against Trump in seven months after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally in July 2025. That shooting left Trump with a minor ear wound and killed one supporter.

Officers responded to the scene at 7:36 p.m. after receiving reports of a suspicious person near the club’s southern perimeter, according to a police statement. The suspect had climbed a maintenance fence and was carrying a loaded AR-15 style rifle with multiple magazines.

“The individual presented a direct threat to the protectee,” Secret Service spokesperson Melissa McKenzie said, referring to Trump. She confirmed agents opened fire during the confrontation but no injuries were reported.

The suspect was identified as 38-year-old Texas resident Jeffrey Banks, two law enforcement sources told The Associated Press. Banks had no prior criminal record but had posted anti-Trump messages on social media platforms, according to preliminary FBI background checks.

Trump had just begun addressing donors at a Republican National Committee fundraiser when the incident occurred. About 200 guests were evacuated to a secure room inside the resort while Secret Service agents swept the property.

“The president is safe and was never in any immediate danger,” White House Press Secretary Brian Hughes said in a statement. Trump resumed his dinner remarks approximately 45 minutes after the arrest, according to attendees who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Mar-a-Lago incident comes weeks after Trump survived a shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. That gunman, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot and killed by Secret Service agents after firing multiple rounds from a nearby rooftop.

Friday’s arrest will intensify scrutiny of Secret Service protection protocols ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The agency has faced bipartisan criticism for security lapses at the Pennsylvania rally, where Crooks managed to position himself within 150 yards of the stage.

House Speaker Mike Johnson immediately called for a congressional investigation into the latest security breach. “This is unacceptable,” Johnson wrote on social media platform X. “The Secret Service must explain how another armed individual came this close to a sitting president.”

Democratic lawmakers also demanded answers. “We need a full briefing on what went wrong,” Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin told CNN. “This cannot become the new normal in American politics.”

The FBI has assumed leadership of the investigation, working alongside both the Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Special Agent Laura Eimiller said investigators were examining whether Banks had accomplices or connections to other threats against Trump.

Security measures around Mar-a-Lago, already among the most intensive for any presidential residence, will likely increase further. The resort has served as Trump’s primary residence since leaving office in 2021, though he now splits time between Florida and the White House.

The incident occurred during one of Trump’s frequent visits to Palm Beach, where he owns three properties. Justice Department guidelines allow presidents to maintain Secret Service protection at their personal residences, though the arrangement costs taxpayers millions annually.

Political violence has escalated sharply in recent years, with threats against members of Congress increasing 400% since 2016, according to Capitol Police statistics. The Secret Service investigated more than 12,000 threats against protectees in 2025, a record high.

The timing could influence Trump’s political messaging as he prepares for the 2026 midterm campaign. The president has increasingly portrayed himself as under siege from political opponents, using security incidents to rally supporters and solicit campaign donations.

Background

Trump faces an unprecedented volume of threats for a sitting president, law enforcement officials say. The Secret Service has expanded his protection detail by 40% since he took office in January 2025, adding specialized countersniper and counterassault teams.

The agency has also implemented new screening procedures at Trump’s political events, including magnetometers and bag checks for all attendees. But private dinners at Mar-a-Lago typically feature less stringent security, relying instead of the club’s perimeter defenses.

Friday’s incident echoes the 2022 attack on then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, who was severely injured by a hammer-wielding intruder at their San Francisco home. That assailant, David DePape, told investigators he was targeting Nancy Pelosi and wanted to break her kneecaps.

US presidents have faced assassination attempts throughout American history, with four sitting presidents killed in office. Ronald Reagan survived a 1981 shooting outside a Washington hotel, while Theodore Roosevelt was shot during a 1912 campaign speech but finished his remarks before seeking medical treatment.

What’s Next

Banks will appear in federal court Monday on charges of attempted assassination of a president and assault on a federal officer. Prosecutors plan to seek his detention without bond, citing both the severity of charges and flight risk factors.

The House Homeland Security Committee has scheduled emergency hearings for next week to examine Secret Service protocols. Committee Chairman Mark Green said the hearings would review both the Mar-a-Lago incident and recommendations from the earlier Pennsylvania shooting investigation.

FBI investigators will examine Banks’ electronic devices for evidence of planning or coordination with others. The bureau’s Behavioral Analysis Unit is profiling the suspect to assess whether he fits patterns of other presidential attackers, most of whom acted alone but exhibited warning signs.

The Secret Service will conduct its own internal review of Friday’s response, standard procedure for any security incident involving a protectee. That report, typically classified, will be shared with congressional oversight committees and could result in disciplinary action or policy changes.

The incident will likely feature prominently in Trump’s upcoming campaign appearances, where he has increasingly framed political opposition as dangerous to democracy itself. His supporters quickly turned the arrest into a fundraising opportunity, with one campaign email sent within hours declaring “they’re trying to stop our movement by any means necessary.”