Ryan Routh, the suspect accused of allegedly trying to assassinate Trump, is expected to face federal charges when he appears in court later today, CBS News, the BBC's American news partner, is reporting.

Routh will not face state charges, Palm Beach County's state attorney Dave Aronberg said. (A reminder of the difference - federal charges are those brought by the US government, while state charges are brought by prosecutors at state level).

The FBI is leading the investigation.

Tom Bateman
Reporting from West Palm Beach

Police have sealed off the perimeter of Donald’s Trump’s private golf club in West Palm Beach, where investigators remain on the scene.

Officials are likely to transfer the suspect to the local courthouse where he could face an initial court appearance in the coming hours.

As they examine any possible motive, investigators are likely to be focusing on the lengthy writings and social media posts of Ryan Wesley Routh, named by US media as the man in custody.

Meanwhile the former president is thought to have the spent the night in his Mar-A-Lago resort, issuing a statement last night in which he paid tribute to the police and the US Secret Service as dedicated patriots and thanked them for an outstanding job.

Fox News anchorman Sean Hannity says he has spoken to Trump's friend Steve Witkoff, a real estate investor who witnessed the incident.

Witkoff "couldn't say enough in terms of praising" the Secret Service and the people around the president and "how quickly they were to jump on him, get him in a very fast golf cart", Hannity tells Fox News., external

And according to Hannity, Witkoff says Trump quickly checked on his entourage and once he was assured everyone was safe, he started joking about having to end his golf round.

Hannity adds the former president said: "I was shooting an even round and I had a birdie putt. And I really wish I could’ve finished that hole."

James FitzGerald
North America reporter

Trump does not receive the same level of protection that a sitting president does, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw has pointed out. "If he was, we would have had this entire golf course surrounded," he said.

But two former Secret Service agents said Trump needs more protection than other former presidents, given that he was running for the White House again.

"We now have to re-evaluate," Barry Donadio told BBC News. "Should all these candidates get the same presidential protective package? I think that's probably going to have to be the answer."

Robert McDonald, a former senior member of the Secret Service, agreed. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the risk of "copycat" attacks prompted questions: "Is someone going to get a tiny bit closer, is somebody going to have another high-powered rifle and is somebody going to be able to inflict some serious damage?"

We have more here on how the Secret Service responded and the questions being asked.

This apparent attempt on the life of Donald Trump, the second such incident this campaign, has intensified questions over the safety of presidential candidates.

Already the Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, has said "people deserve the truth" about how a would-be assassin was able to get "within 500 yards" of the former president.

The Secret Service is going to face more questions over whether it is doing enough, or has enough resources, to protect the Republican nominee.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw confirmed that because Trump is not in office, the full golf course was not cordoned off - and "security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible".

There are already bipartisan calls to beef up Trump's detail.

Republican congressman Nick Langworthy said Trump should have "the same security levels afforded to a sitting president to ensure his safety".

That was echoed by Democrat Ro Khanna: "The Secret Service must come to Congress tomorrow, tell us what resources are needed to expand the protective perimeter, and lets allocate it in abipartisan vote the same day."

Image source, Reuters

The gunman was set up in the bushes near the sixth hole of the Trump International Golf Club, according to law enforcement officials.

He was spotted by a Secret Service agent carrying out security checks while the former president was playing.

The suspect fled to a car and was later arrested on a motorway in Martin County, about 45 minutes away.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Russia will try to spread disinformation blaming Ukraine for the apparent assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump on 15 September, the head of the National Security and Defence Council's Centre for Combating Disinformation, Andriy Kovalenko, says on Telegram.

"Russia is using another attempt on Trump's life against Ukraine in the media. The mass media drew attention to the fact that [Ryan] Routh; supported Ukraine...

"In addition, he is associated with an organisation that was involved in the supply of weapons to Ukraine and Taiwan. This incident is already becoming a topic for Russian propaganda.

"In the future, the enemy will launch a number of conspiracy theories about the 'Ukrainian trail'. Of course, all this is a lie. But information confrontation is a component of the war," he says.

We've been digging through the past of Ryan Wesley Routh, the man named as the suspect in the apparent assassination attempt.

He had an intense interest in the war in Ukraine, and was pictured in May 2022 in Kyiv at a rally demanding more international humanitarian assistance for civilians.

The following month, he gave an interview to Newsweek Romania, external in which he outlined his motivations for supporting Ukraine.

"A lot of the other conflicts are grey, but this conflict is definitely black and white, this is good versus evil," he said.

Routh told the interviewer his initial goal was to "come and fight in Ukraine", but as a "plan B", he turned to recruiting foreign fighters for the war effort.

"We need thousands and thousands of people fighting with the Ukrainians," he said.

During the interview, Routh becomes emotional when talking about young people risking their lives to fight.

"This is the most important thing going on in the world today."

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says he's glad to hear Trump is "safe and unharmed" as he warns violence has "no place" on the political stage. His comments are particularly poignant considering suspected gunman Ryan Wesley Routh's vocal support to the Ukrainian cause.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he's "very troubled" by reports of a possible fresh attempt on Donald Trump's life - the second since July. As he prepares to meet with his Italian counterpart in Rome, Sir Keir echoes Zelensky as he notes there is "no place" for violence in politics.

Also from Rome is another message from Italy deputy PM Matteo Salvini - who has been a vocal Trump supporter. He says "trials, violent [individuals], fanatics and communists won't stop us. [We go] forward with our head held high".

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says he was "relieved" to hear Trump was safe but insists "we should not rely on luck". He says all measures need to be taken to foil plots in advance.

Back in Europe, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban - who Trump has repeatedly praised in the past - says: "We are praying for you, Mr President!" He claims Trump will continue to be "in danger" until he returns to the White House.

Charlotte Scarr
Reporting from Kyiv

Image source, Reuters

A volunteer previously based in Ukraine has told the BBC about his experience meeting Ryan Wesley Routh on several occasions in Kyiv in June 2022.

Chris Lutz, a humanitarian aid worker for the Phoenix aid work project, says "I have met Ryan in person several times… Ryan was trying to get in contact with everyone speaking English. He was an omnipresent dude."

According to Lutz, Ryan Wesley Routh was referred to locally as "a recruitment cheerleader" with his main goal being to bring foreigners to fight for Ukraine’s Armed forces.

When asked about his personality, Lutz said "I wouldn’t call him crazy. He was just hyper-focused. He was trying his best to help Ukraine. But it was getting to an unhealthy level… He also had no rights or powers to recruit for Ukraine’s international legion. It was a complication."

He went on to add that Ryan Wesley Routh had asked for his assistance in recruiting foreign volunteer fighters.

"He asked me for advice on how to get Afghans into Ukraine. However, I had no experience of the Ukrainian legal system, so I declined the request. When he said he could bring over thousands of Afghan fighters, I started to get suspicious."

The former president was playing at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach when the security incident unfolded.

Trump's golf course is just a 10-minute drive from his residence at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Image source, Reuters

Here's a quick what-to-know summary about the alleged attempt on Donald Trump:

• Trump was playing a round of golf at his club in West Palm beach when a member of his security team spotted "this rifle barrel sticking out of the fence". The agent immediately engaged the individual, who fled the scene. It is unclear whether the suspect fired any shots
• A person identified locally as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was taken into custody after the car the suspect fled in was stopped 45-minutes away from the golf course.
• The FBI recovered an AK47-style firearm and scope, two backpacks and a GoPro camera from the bush the suspected gunman was hiding in
• Trump reassured supporters he was "safe and well" and “nothing will slow me down” as he called for financial support for his presidential campaign
• The suspected gunman remains in custody and no official charges have been filed yet. The 58-year-old is expected to appear in front of a judge later today

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Russian TV channels this morning were keen to amplify US reports that Ryan Routh, the suspect in the assassination attempt, is an avid supporter of Ukraine and visited Kyiv in 2022.

"He actively supports Ukraine, has previously travelled to Kyiv, and has attempted to recruit mercenaries [to fight in Ukraine]," Rossiya 1 said.

Rossiya 24 branded Routh a supporter of the "Zelensky regime" and a "fervent recruiter of mercenaries".

NTV said Routh was "obsessed with the conflict in Ukraine and wanted to join nationalist units himself".

Such sentiments were widely echoed by pro-Kremlin online commentators.

Prominent military blogger Boris Rozhin (Colonelcassad) said on Telegram, external that Routh "was a big fan of Nazi Ukraine".

Former Secret Service agent Barry Donadio has suggested that US authorities review the types of protection presidential candidates get.

"Right now, there is a difference between the sitting president and a presidential candidate, or even a former president," he tells BBC News.

"We now have to re-evaluate. Should all these candidates get the same presidential protective package? I think that's probably going to have to be the answer."

He also urges authorities to be "extremely transparent" in their investigation of the apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

"They shouldn't want to have people have the ability to breed conspiracy theories because of this," he says.

It is a "tense time" in American history, he adds.

"Democracy [is] being endangered because of conspiracy theories, or one side believing one thing and the other side believing the other. The government is going to have to rein these all in."

Image source, Reuters

A close friend of Donald Trump, journalist and businessman Chris Ruddy, has been speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Ruddy is the CEO and majority owner of Newsmax, a conservative cable news channel in the US.

He says he "wasn't surprised" by the latest apparent assassination attempt.

"I think the president remains in a dangerous situation, there are a lot of people who don't like him in this country," he says.

Ruddy says Trump knows he is in a "very dangerous period", and that has "come home to him in a very real and dark way" since the first assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in July.

Ruddy has also played golf with Trump on the West Palm Beach course on which he was apparently targeted, and says it would require a "mini army" to secure it.

"It's a very large area, sprawling area."

Routh's claims that he acted as a volunteer to recruit fighters for what Ukraine calls its international legion have been refuted by the organisation.

A spokesperson for the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine told the BBC that Ryan Wesley Routh has had no association with the unit.

"We would like to clarify that Ryan Wesley Routh has never been part of, associated with, or linked to the International Legion in any capacity. Any claims or suggestions indicating otherwise are entirely inaccurate."

Suspected gunman Ryan Wesley Routh allegedly had previous run ins with law enforcement.

Former neighbour Kim Mungo claims federal agents once "raided" Routh's property.

While he describes Routh as a "sweetheart", Mungo alleges the man used to keep "loads of stolen property and stuff" on the grounds of his home.

He also says he saw Routh and his family on more than one occasion using guns and discharging them in the open.

We've heard from now from Robert McDonald, senior Secret Service member and former supervisor of President Biden's security detail when he was vice president.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme he says "compared to 13 July, where the Secret Service had some epic failures in its policies and protocols, this was a very positive reaction by them."

He says the Secret Service were able to "diligently spot this individual and then make sure the protective measures directly around the former President were enhanced".

"All around, I think it was a good day for the Secret Service – despite this individual getting relatively close."

"Copycats are who we are worried about now. Thankfully, so far, injuries have been minimal but the bigger concern now is is somebody going to get a tiny bit closer? Is somebody going to have another high-powered rifle? Is somebody going to be able to inflict some serious damage?"