(NewsNation) — Trump’s favorite hobby may pose a security problem, according to a former Secret Service agent.
Jeffrey James told Business Insider that Trump’s love for golf presents unique challenges for those charged with protecting his life.
James said that “all outdoor events are nightmares” because “when you’re outdoors, sightlines go on for thousands of yards.” James was a special agent for the Secret Service for 22 years and served during Clinton, Bush, Obama and Trump administrations.
“Someone could be in a tree line 15 feet deep in the shadows and the president is walking or riding down the center of the fairway where he’s in a wide open posture,” James added, outlining how a golf course is “essentially wide open,” providing a suspect with the ability to easily hide.
The man who allegedly pointed an AK-47-style rifle through the fence at Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach on Sunday, while the former president was golfing nearby, has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, faces up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 fines for each charge. He was taken into custody following a court appearance Monday, authorities say.
A pretrial detention hearing has been set for Sept. 23 and an arraignment set for Sept. 30.
Trump’s 2nd assassination attempt
Routh, a white male, is believed by authorities to be the suspect who was crouched in bushes near the golf club perimeter, armed with a weapon equipped with a scope.
Two backpacks and a GoPro camera were also found with the firearm near the perimeter from which the suspect had fled.
Local authorities said the gunman was about 400-500 yards away from the former president.
At approximately 1:30 p.m. local time, authorities received a call reporting shots fired at the golf course where Trump was playing a round of golf.
A witness told police the suspect fled the scene in a black Nissan and provided investigators with photos of the suspect’s license plate. Using that photo, authorities say they put out a “very urgent” bulletin for area police to be on the lookout.
Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder said his deputies “immediately flooded” northbound Interstate 95, deploying to every exit between the Palm Beach County line to the south and St. Lucie County line to the north.
“One of my road patrol units saw the vehicle, matched the tag and we set up on the vehicle,” Snyder said. “We pinched in on the car, got it safely stopped and got the driver in custody.”
Snyder told WPTV that the suspect “was not armed when we took him out of the car.”
The man had a calm, flat demeanor and showed little emotion when he was stopped by police, Snyder said, saying the suspect did not question why he was being pulled over.
“He never asked, ‘What is this about?’ Obviously, law enforcement with long rifles, blue lights, a lot going on. He never questioned it,” Snyder said.
A social media post by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office indicated the suspect was apprehended near Palm City, Florida, about a 45-mile drive north of Trump’s golf course. Northbound lanes of I-95 were shut down, the sheriff’s office said.
The Associated Press and NewsNation digital contributed to this report.