President Donald Trump voiced concerns about his safety during a White House event with families affected by crimes committed by undocumented immigrants. The remarks mark his first public comments following the fatal shooting of a 21-year-old intruder at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
The Incident at Mar-a-Lago
On Sunday, Austin Tucker Martin, a 21-year-old from North Carolina, attempted to enter the grounds of Mar-a-Lago, which serves as Trump’s Florida residence. Authorities report he carried a firearm and a gas can. Secret Service agents shot and killed Martin after he refused orders to drop the weapon and raised it toward them.
Trump’s First Public Response
Speaking at the Monday event, Trump reflected on repeated threats against him. “I don’t know how long I’ll be around,” he stated. “I have a lot of people gunning for me, don’t I?”
He drew parallels to assassinated presidents like Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, noting, “They only go after consequential [presidents].” Trump then added, “So maybe I want to be a little bit less consequential. Can we hold it back a little bit? Let’s be a normal president for a little while.”
Previous Assassination Attempts
Trump survived two assassination attempts during his 2024 presidential campaign. In July, Thomas Matthew Crooks fired at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing Trump’s ear before Secret Service agents killed the shooter.
Two months later in September, Ryan Wesley Routh targeted Trump while he golfed near his Palm Beach club. Routh fled but was captured, charged with attempted assassination, and sentenced to life in prison earlier this month.
