Biden instructs Secret Service to protect Trump

US President Joe Biden has instructed the US Secret Service to provide all necessary resources to ensure Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s continued safety, the White House press service said, Report informs referring to TASS.

"As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country, and I have directed my team to continue to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President’s continued safety," the US leader said.

"I have been briefed by my team regarding what federal law enforcement is investigating as a possible assassination attempt of former President Trump today. A suspect is in custody, and I commend the work of the Secret Service and their law enforcement partners for their vigilance and their efforts to keep the former President and those around him safe. I am relieved that the former President is unharmed. There is an active investigation into this incident as law enforcement gathers more details about what happened," Biden stressed.

Earlier, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it was conducting an investigation into the shooting in the vicinity of Trump, viewing it as an assassination attempt.

According to the FBI, its agents have arrived in West Palm Beach, Florida, and are "investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination" of Trump.

The US Secret Service confirmed that its agent had opened fire on an armed suspect near the former US president’s golf course.

The New York Post reported, citing sources, that the Secret Service had spotted a suspicious individual in the vicinity of Trump’s golf course "and opened fire when agents saw what appeared to be the barrel of a gun." Later, the suspect was apprehended by the local police.

Previously, an assassination attempt on Trump took place on July 13 at an election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A bullet grazed the ex-president’s ear. As a result of the shooting, one of his supporters was killed. The attacker, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by Secret Service officers.

The US presidential election is slated for November 5. Incumbent US President Joe Biden was supposed to represent the Democrats at the election but he decided to drop out of the race after his poor performance in June in the debate with his predecessor Trump who later became the Republican presidential nominee.

In July, Biden announced a decision to end his re-election bid and endorse US Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him. The Democratic Party officially nominated Harris in early August.