Security, military experts weigh in on danger to Trump after latest assassination attempt

Security and military experts reacted to the latest attempt on the life of former President Donald Trump, noting the difficulty the U.S. Secret Service faces in protecting the former president.

"Wide open areas like golf courses are notoriously difficult to secure," Josh Schirbard, a former SWAT commander and sniper team leader, told Fox News Digital. 

"The routes of ingress are almost infinite, and most golf courses contain an abundance of wooded areas, shrubs, and other landscape features that make masking one's approach even easier. Given these challenges, the best chance for an assassination attempt would be to use terrain masking and distance as your allies to try to make a long-range rifle shot."

The comments come after the FBI said Sunday it is investigating an apparent attempted assassination on Trump, this time after shots were fired near the former president at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

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Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference held at Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 13. (AP/Jae C. Hong)

The suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, was arrested Sunday after fleeing the scene.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters Sunday that the gunman was roughly 300 to 500 yards away from Trump and was armed with an AK-47 style rifle, but was spotted by a U.S. Secret Service agent who "engaged" the suspect. 

"Without knowing more about the rifle, there are some challenges with that kind of shot and this weapon system. The ‘standard’ AK-47 fires a 7.62mm round and is one of the most prolific weapons in the world. While it's incredibly reliable and ‘technically’ has an effective range of 700 yards, it's not known for being very accurate," Schirbard said.

"We still don’t know much about the shooter and his experience," he continued. "But we do know that even with a 30-round magazine, attempts like this only get 1 – 3 rounds to hit their mark before the target is out of view. Is this an amateur attempt? Most likely. Long-range snipers also don’t leave their gear behind like this possible shooter."

Chad Robichaux, former Force Recon Marine and Department of Defense (DoD) contractor, told Fox News Digital that the weapon the suspect used could have been effective at about 1,000 yards.

"Assuming it was a rifle with a caliber between 5.56 and 7.62, a skilled shooter can effectively hit a target at 1,000 yards," Robichaux said. "So, if the shooter had any decent skills, he was certainly within range to kill President Trump."

Robichaux also noted that even for an "entry level Marine," a shot of "500 yards with no scope" should be able to "hit a human-sized target."

Sheriff vehicles are pictured near Trump International Golf Club, Sunday. Sept. 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla., after gunshots were reported in the vicinity of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Stephanie Matat)

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Trump was reportedly traveling between the 5th and 6th hole of the course when the incident occurred, meaning that unlike the previous attempt on his life in Pennsylvania, when the former president was stationary, the timing of when shots began to be fired was crucial, as the former president could have continued getting closer to the threat as he progressed through the course.

Meanwhile, Mark "Oz" Geist, the bestselling co-author of "13 Hours" and a security and military consultant, told Fox News Digital that the scope may not have made much of a difference.

"An alleged weapon obtained from a final firing position at Trump International Golf Course, where former President Donald Trump was playing golf, appears to be an aftermarket semi-automatic replica of a Kalashnikov rifle," Geist said. "Its maximum effective range is 380 yards with iron sights. A scope wouldn’t necessarily increase the maximum effective range but would provide the shooter with greater accuracy."

"Also included in the pictures was a chain-link fence with a backpack and another carrying case attached to it, which has been indicated to contain ceramic plates, with a gap left to shoot through. This setup suggests that the potential shooter had placed these items in a defensive position, possibly in anticipation of being compromised and receiving return fire from the Secret Service."

Sheriff vehicles are pictured near Trump International Golf Club, Sunday. Sept. 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla., after gunshots were reported in the vicinity of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump. (Peter Burke/Fox News Digital)

Trump was unharmed in the incident, with senior campaign advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wile writing after the incident that an "evil monster" made an attempt on Trump’s life "for the second time in two months."

"Thankfully, no one was injured at the Golf Course. President Trump and everyone accompanying him are safe thanks to the great work of the United States Secret Service," they wrote.

Michael Lee is a writer for Fox News. Prior to joining Fox News, Michael worked for the Washington Examiner, Bongino.com, and Unbiased America. He has covered politics for more than eight years.