Suspect waited 12 hours for Trump

A man suspected of an apparent attempt to assassinate former US president Donald Trump at his Florida golf course hid out for nearly 12 hours beforehand, according to a court complaint.

The suspect, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was charged with two federal gun crimes on Monday.

The incident on Sunday afternoon raised questions about how an armed person was able to get so close to Trump, the Republican presidential candidate in the Nov 5 election, two months after a gunman fired at Trump during a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing his ear with a bullet.

Trump's visit to his golf course in West Palm Beach was not on his public schedule, US Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe said on Monday.

A Secret Service agent who was "walking the perimeter" of the course, according to the criminal complaint, opened fire after seeing a rifle barrel poking out of bushes a few hundred meters away from Trump, who was on the fifth hole fairway.

Records show a phone associated with Routh was located at the golf course starting at 1:59 am (0559 GMT) on Sunday, 11 and half hours before the incident, according to the complaint. Federal agents had requested Routh's location data from his wireless provider.

The suspect was on the public side of a fence along the course's boundary, Rowe said.

"There have been previous individuals who have taken pictures of the former president while he's golfing," Dave Aronberg, the state attorney for the district that covers Palm Beach County, told Fox News. "They've gone through the shrubs and been able to poke a camera through the fencing. You would think that perhaps maybe they would consider someone scoping the perimeter."

A 2019 tip to the FBI alleged that Routh was a convicted felon who illegally possessed a firearm, Jeffrey Veltri, the agent in charge of the FBI's Miami field office, told reporters.

In court on Monday, Routh was charged with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He is expected back in court for a bond hearing on Sept 23 and an arraignment on Sept 30.

In 2002, Routh pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered fully automatic gun, which in North Carolina is defined as a weapon of mass destruction, according to the county district attorney's office. He was sentenced to probation.

Routh is a staunch supporter of Ukraine and has traveled there, seeking to recruit foreign fighters in the country's conflict with Russia.

Social media accounts linked to Routh's name showed posts on Ukraine, as well as claims that Trump is a threat to US democracy.

Trump has questioned the amount of aid the United States has given Ukraine and vowed to end the conflict immediately if elected. Vice-President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, has promised continued support for Ukraine.

Biden and Trump had a "cordial conversation" on Monday, the White House said.

The Secret Service has been under scrutiny since the July shooting. The agency needs more help, including possibly more personnel, Biden told reporters on Monday.

Agencies contributed to this story.