Donald Trump has not played golf since an apparent assassination attempt near one of the former president's golf courses on Sept. 15 and will not play until after the election, according to a person close to the campaign and another familiar with the situation.
A third person familiar with the conversation said Trump was told that federal agents could not guarantee his safety to the extent they felt comfortable playing golf. The concerns were raised in two conversations with Trump since the September incident: one with Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Roe and the other with officials in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Security was on Trump's mind.
Trump asked Roe during a meeting last month whether it would be safe for him to continue playing golf after the failed assassination attempt, and was told he would need significant extra security due to his proximity to some courses. The New York Times' report last month cited information from three people familiar with the conversation.
Not being able to play golf is a significant change to Trump's schedule and lifestyle. He has 18 golf resources around the world — including courses in Oman and Dubai — and throughout his three campaigns and his presidency, the game has been a constant in his life.
During his presidency, he spent 260 days at his various golf properties. It's unclear whether he plays golf every time — unlike previous administrations, the White House generally doesn't say whether he's playing golf or who he's playing with.
If Trump spends Election Day without playing golf, it will be the longest period he has gone without golf since the coronavirus pandemic, which has kept the link closed for more than two months.
Trump has normally played golf at least once a week since leaving the White House, but his fondness for the greens put him in danger during his last round on September 15 at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
It was then, the Justice Department said, that a Secret Service agent saw “the partially obscured face of a man” in the “bush along the fence line near the sixth hole,” apparently waiting for Trump to get to the hole, which the authorities later. identified Ryan RouthAfter the agent shot him, he fled and was arrested a short time later.
Rute is accused of attempted murder of an important presidential candidate and could face life in prison if convicted. He pleaded not guilty.
The West Palm Beach incident was Trump's second assassination attempt. In July, His ear was hit when Thomas Crooks opened fire on him at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Secret Service since these events Increased its security An unprecedented degree for Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Bulletproof glass and additional agents are now common at promotional events.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said that as a matter of policy he would not comment on “a conversation between the acting director and a security guard” and would defer questions to the Trump campaign.
“Since the attempted assassination of former President Trump on July 13, the U.S. Secret Service has made significant changes and improvements to our communications capabilities, capabilities and defensive operations,” he added in his statement to NBC News. “Today, the former president is receiving high security and we take the responsibility of ensuring his safety and security very seriously.”
The Trump campaign did not provide comment for this article.
Trump has said golf is important to him and is his main form of exercise.
“I know many people in business and politics who work non-stop, in some cases to the point of exhaustion. It's the number one passion in life, but no one complains. My 'exercise' is to play, almost never a week, a quick round of golf. he tweeted in 2020 when he was president. “I play very fast, I work a lot on the golf course and I also do 'a little' exercise. Not bad!”
Trump's frequent golf outings during his time as president made headlines at his estate because he had often criticized President Barack Obama to play golf during his first presidential campaign.
“Since I'm going to work for you, I won't have time to play golf. Trust me,” Trump told a crowd in Virginia in August 2016.
He said in 2020 that his time on the field was different from his predecessors because Obama played “much longer rounds.”
