Speaker Mike Johnson was on the way to Mar-a-Lago when Trump faced alleged would-be assassin

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and his wife were on their way to former President Donald Trump’s home in Florida when the Republican presidential nominee was targeted a few miles away in an apparent assassination attempt Sunday afternoon, according to a post from Johnson on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Trump was playing golf at his course near Mar-a-Lago when U.S. Secret Service agents thwarted an assassination attempt, the second against the former president in the past nine weeks. Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was apprehended a short distance away after attempting to flee, according to authorities.

“Kelly and I are departing Mar-a-Lago, where we just spent a few hours with President Trump and are thanking God for protecting him today — once again,” Johnson wrote. “No leader in American history has endured more attacks and remained so strong and resilient. He is unstoppable.”

Johnson’s post included a picture of himself and his wife with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. In an interview Monday morning with Fox News, the speaker said he spent about three hours with Trump.

“He was in very good spirits, as you might expect. That’s who he is. He’s so resilient, and we were really grateful to see him,” Johnson said. 

Kelly and I are departing Mar-a-Lago, where we just spent a few hours with President Trump and are thanking God for protecting him today—once again. No leader in American history has endured more attacks and remained so strong and resilient. He is unstoppable. pic.twitter.com/43Rm8SPGU8

— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) September 15, 2024

The speaker praised the response of Secret Service agents who were scouting the hole ahead of where Trump was playing at his golf course. When they spotted a rifle barrel protruding from the bushes, they opened fire.

“Had they not been there? Had they not acted so quickly and so decisively? We might be having a different conversation,” Johnson said.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise also shared reaction Sunday to Trump’s apparent near-brush with an assassin. The Republican from Jefferson survived a 2017 mass shooting at a GOP congressional baseball practice at a playground in Virginia.

Scalise has been critical of the Secret Service after Trump was clipped in his ear during a July 13 shooting at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Agents returned fire and killed the shooter, 20-year-old James Matthew Crooks. An internal investigation found glaring weaknesses with the Secret Service protection plan in place for Trump’s rally.

“Secret Service must up their level of protection of him to their FULL capabilities — including expanding the perimeter,” Scalise posted on X.

Authorities just acknowledged if President Trump was president, they’d do more to protect him.

This must change.

There have been TWO attempts on Trump’s life.

Secret Service must up their level of protection of him to their FULL capabilities—including expanding the perimeter. pic.twitter.com/1EuT7HLEoS

— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) September 15, 2024

U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, sent a vague single-word message to his followers on X following Sunday afternoon’s news from Florida: “Hold.”

Hold.

— Rep. Clay Higgins (@RepClayHiggins) September 16, 2024

Clarification: This report and the headline was updated to reflect new information Speaker Johnson shared Monday morning with Fox News.