PALM BEACH, Fla. — Former President Donald Trump met with the Martin County Sheriff's Office deputies who helped arrest the suspect in an assassination attempt at his West Palm Beach golf club.
In a post on Facebook, the sheriff's office says Trump contacted MCSO to ask that those involved in arresting 58-year-old Ryan Routh join him Tuesday at Mar-A-Lago to thank the deputies personally for their "incredible work."
In a report from WPTV-TV, the deputies signed and gave the former president the handcuffs used to arrest Routh on Sunday.
"That's good-looking stuff right there," Trump said as he entered the room, according to the article. "That's good-looking human beings."
Sheriff William Snyder explained to the outlet that communication with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office played a pivotal role in quickly locating Routh.
"I could not be more proud of my crew," he said to WPTV-TV. "I talked to the [former] president today, and he told me specifically that he can rest easier knowing that someone who was about to kill him, or try to kill him, was in custody. To me, that's as rewarding as anything I've ever done."
"God bless the men and women of law enforcement who put themselves at risk to keep us safe every day. President Trump will always Back the Blue!" Trump's website wrote regarding MCSO's visit.
According to authorities, Routh pointed a rifle with a scope into former President Trump’s golf club and then fled after Secret Service agents shot at him.
According to the federal prosecutors' complaint, cell phone records show that Routh was in the area of the golf course tree line for about 12 hours, from approximately 1:59 a.m. until 1:31 p.m. on Sunday.
He was stopped about 45 minutes after he fled the golf course, court documents said.
Officials said Routh could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the first charge, and a possible five-year sentence on the second charge.
