So, the consequences of supporting Ukraine is we might lose the one presidential candidate who doesn’t support Ukraine?
I think I’m okay with that risk.
Moderating:
This is the breaking news thread. Not the political speculation thread. Please keep it to the news.
Yea, that’s the same thing I’ve heard, too. Basically, an extended orb around Trump’s person.
I also heard, from former Obama SS, that this needs to change. If it was Biden/President for example, the entire course would be sealed off. Basically, an extended orb around the specific place Trump is at (and then Trump can move freely within it).
He went on to say, after two attempts, he would definitely ask/provide for that “President” level of security. It’s warranted now. The threats are certainly real and more security will prevent them.
Based on the evidence thus far, I would label this incident as a concept of an assassination attempt.
Can any of you shed some light on why Routh had two backpacks filled with ceramic tiles hanging on the fence? Were they supposed to protect him from return fire?
That would be my guess.
I would take this to the level of an attempted assassination attempt - far more than just a concept.
However, due to the diligence of the Secret Service - it never had an actual attempt being made. (from what I understand of the current reporting - he never got a shot off).
No, he’ll just blame Harris for “trying to get me killed”, like he did at the debate.
I guess I should have specified my remark as satire. You know, like the ‘concept of a health care plan.’
fair enough…
I got it 
In all seriousness, there’s my personal feelings on whether I think this is an assassination attempt and the FBI word of art “assassination attempt”. The FBI’s is defined.
I wish I could link you to it, but I can’t find it in all the noise of the current news. I heard former dep director Andrew McCabe talk about it a few months ago - the actual process of how this gets started inside the FBI. Generally though, if it’s remotely close, and this one is^^, assassination attempt and/or domestic terrorism opens a lot of doors/tools the FBI can use to investigate. If they just investigated ordinary attempted assault say, the FBI would not have access to those same tools.
^^It’s close because you have an armed guy, rifle, hiding, very close to Trump. That’s certainly worthy of an assassination attempt investigation. Let the FBI treat it as such for now and report back with what they find out.
I was wondering too, found someone online saying the tiles are in fact for stopping bullets, suggesting the guy was planning on a shootout. No mention of whether these were plain old Home Depot bathroom tiles, or some sort of camouflage survivalist ceramic kevlar.
Maybe he planned to put on his backpack and run away, run away!
It’s being reported that cell phone data indicates he hid for 12 hours.
It’s known that Trump golfs whenever he’s at Mar-A-Lago. It makes sense that someone willing to wait all day might get a opportunity to take a shot.
Who had this on their MAGA BINGO card (hint: everybody)??
Just a sample:
“Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country and they are the ones that are destroying the country — both from the inside and out,” Trump said in comments to Fox News Digital.
If we were to treat the term of art (or whatever, if there is one) the same as the legal definition for “attempt” as in “attempted assassination of [insert federally relevant class of person, assuming there is one]” then I suspect the “attempt” label is appropriate. Whether under the “proximity test” or the “substantial steps test” (I believe the two most common, though I am not sure which the federal system uses), I should think lying in wait in a concealed area, in a somewhat prepared position (backpacks with tiles on the fence), having travelled there (possibly all the way from Hawaii?) with a weapon that is at least marginally suitable to the task (and perhaps procured separately?), and being perhaps minutes or seconds from the opportunity to open fire on the intended target satisfies both the proximity test and the substantial steps test (again, whatever the federal system uses).
How does this demonstrate inadequate Secret Security protection? The incident in Pennsylvania might demonstrate that, but in this case, the Secret Service nabbed the guy without him firing any shots, and without any deaths, or any injury to their protectee. It seems to me that this is exactly what adequate protection looks like.
As for the suitability of the AK-47 for this job, any one shot would have a low chance of a hit, but volume of fire can make up for that. Empty a full clip at a target a few hundred yards away, and it’s likely that at least one will hit.
Are we sure it was even an AK-47, and not an SVD or something that somebody identified as an “AK-47”?
The problem with this would be that it would require practically closing the golf course to other golfers. And this is Trump’s golf course. And he makes money off those other golfers.
Judge, my client was rabbit hunting and didn’t trespass on that property. (He was outside the fence.)
It’s going to be interesting to see what charges get successfully filed and prosecuted. 
I wouldn’t be surprised if a deal is eventually negotiated.