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Former President Donald Trump was enjoying a round of golf with businessman Steve Witkoff at Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida, when shots rang out in what authorities said was a second assassination attempt on the Republican nominee for president.
Witkoff spoke with Fox News host Sean Hannity about what it was like being on the golf course with Trump at the time.
"Here he was yesterday on a beautiful day, just trying to get some rest and relaxation like all the rest of us, and there's a man with an...assault rifle who's attempting to kill him. It was terrible," Witkoff told Hannity. "But I got to see... I got to see a man who was stoic, courageous, cared about his friends' safety first before his own life. He was an inspiration to everybody who was around him yesterday. I wish the whole country could have witnessed what happened yesterday because they would have seen a real leader."
Witkoff said he was about five yards from Trump when shots rang out and watched as Secret Service agents quickly jumped into action.
"The Secret Service were exceptional. They had the president secured, in my estimation, because I was five yards away from him, in my estimation, maybe after the first shot, certainly after the second shot. So, by the time the fourth shot rang out, the president was on his way with that detail," he said.
"It was as if they had practiced it 500 times before. It was pretty awesome to watch them. And they were heroic because their lives were on the line," Witkoff continued.
Witkoff also spoke about the ordeal with NBC's TODAY, providing additional details about what happened after the first shots were fired.
"The entire team converged on top of him, except for the snipers," Witkoff explained. "The snipers separated, and they came within three yards of me, put the tripods down, and they were aiming right at the spot where the shots had come from."
The suspected shooter, 58-year-old Ryan Routh, fled the scene after Secret Service agents fired at him. Officers tracked down his vehicle and took him into custody. He is currently facing federal charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Authorities expect additional charges to be fired as the investigation continues.