MSNBC’s Morning Joe hosts delved into the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, with co-host Joe Scarborough saying Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris face high levels of danger, and they called for Congress to “step up” and fund the Secret Service to prevent attacks.
The former president was golfing at his West Palm Beach golf course on Sunday when a suspect, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, was hiding nearby with an “AK-47-style rifle” before fleeing the scene, according to law enforcement. During Morning Joe’s discussion of the assassination attempt, NBC News investigations correspondent Tom Winter argued the Secret Service needs more help to protect both 2024 presidential candidates from the “very high” threats they face.
“As Tom said, Mika, we got 50 days,” Scarborough told his co-host, causing her to say “oof” in response. “Threat level is high against Donald Trump. Threat level is high against Kamala Harris. The threat level is high, and right now, again, as badly as they did in Butler, Pennsylvania, the Secret Service did their job commendably yesterday. Everybody, from Donald Trump to the sheriff of Palm Beach County, everybody involved is saying the same thing: They just need more resources.”
Sunday’s assassination attempt marks the second time in two months that Trump has survived an attempt on his life, with the first time occurring during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Unlike Monday’s episode, Morning Joe was not aired on television following the first assassination attempt, with MSNBC swapping to special report coverage via its streaming service, NBC News Now.
When the show returned on July 16, Scarborough and co-host Mika Brzezinski were disappointed with the network pulling their show after the historic news. Scarborough also implied the two would quit if a similar action were taken again by the network.
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On Truth Social, Trump thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement for doing an “OUTSTANDING” job keeping him safe, writing, “It was certainly an interesting day.” As of Monday morning, the assassination attempt has not deterred Trump from his campaign schedule, as he is set to attend multiple rallies in battleground states Michigan and Wisconsin.
Multiple investigations have been launched into this assassination attempt, including one by the FBI and another by the Secret Service. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced Sunday night that the Sunshine State would conduct its own investigation.