And its frightening to see violence being threatened and used in a political campaign. I worry about threats. I worry about whats being said online, about many, many people, not just the former president. And he should be doing, if he were really a leader, he should be doing what he can to calm the matters, not try to just continue to throw, you know, Red Meat out there to get people riled up. Former Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton condemning the apparent Assassination Attempt on former President Trump, and also reacting To Trump placing the blame for the attack on President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Well get the latest on the suspect and also the political implications in just a moment. And well bring you a report from springfield, ohio, as more threats fueled by lies from the former president and his running Mate Force schools to shut down for a Third Day. Good morning. Welcome to Morning Joe. It is tuesday, september 17th. Along with joe, willie, and me, we have the host of Way Too Early, white House Bureau Chief at politico, Jonathan Lemire. And Msnbc Contributor Mike Barnicle is with us. We begin this morning with the latest developments surrounding the apparent Assassination Attempt against Donald Trump. According to the federal criminal complaint, the suspect, 58yearold Ryan Routh, was in the area of trumps west Palm Beach Golf course for about 12 hours before the Secret Service spotted him on sunday and opened fire on him. Authorities say routh did not fire a shot, nor did he have a clear line of sight to shoot trump. Not at all. There was misinformation as soon as this News Broke, and it became clear pretty quickly that there was this misinformation. Right. You know, Reports Trump had been shot at, that Secret Service knew the direction from where the shots came from. Yeah, they did because they were the only ones who fired weapons. Right. According to investigations, he had a loaded sks Semiautomatic Rifle along with a scope, and two bags of food. When routh fled the scene, he left behind his phone. Authorities say data shows he may have been hiding in the bushes from about 2 00 in the morning until 1 30 p. M. When he was found. The Martin County Sheriffs Office released this video of rouths arrest. He was taken into custody without incident. Routh was found driving on the highway nearly 50 miles away from the Golf Course after police say a witness took a picture of the car he was in. Willie. The counts include possession of a firearm as a convicted Felon And Possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He could face additional charges next monday in court or as this investigation continues. Lets go to Nbc News national Law Enforcement and Intelligence Correspondent, tom winter. Lets start with the timeline and what we know. We learned that the guy never fired shots, he never had a clear line of sight, was too far from where President Trump was Playing Golf. What else do we know this morning . We know it was the Secret Service that saw him kind of moving within the Tree Line there that alerted them to this person being there, then they saw the gun and the Secret Service engaged with him and fired at him. Thats how this whole event initially started. There is indication the secret Service Agent didnt radio first, just took immediate action, firing the weapon, then got on the horn and was telling everybody what was going on. As far as the information that you and mika were referencing, him being at the location for almost 12 hours, July 10th of this year, routh posts on facebook, hey, if you want to contact me, Reach Out through whatsapp and send me an instant message. The whatsapp is associated with a Cell Phone number. They found that. Federal investigators found that on his facebook page. They contacted tmobile, his service provider, and said, we need everything about this number. There is a system in place with all the major providers where they can say, we need everything right now. Well send you the paperwork. There is a valid warrant, but drop everything and give us the information. They were able to get that. The Fbi Task Team is set up to find where Cell Phones are and to get all the information possible about where somebody might have been. They determined he was there in that general vicinity of where he ultimately was fired upon by Secret Service and seen with that weapon at approximately 1 59 a. M. As youll remember from yesterday, the shooting happened at approximately 1 30 p. M. He had been there for a significant period of time. How long was the vehicle there . Youll remember from the initial reports, then followed up at the Press Conference, he jumps in his car and leaves the scene. Yesterday, we sent out some of our owning colli colleagues to the area and try to get Surveillance Video from the businesses nearby to determine that information. The fbi was there within two hours after the shooting. Approximately 3 30 on sunday afternoon, the fbi was already pulling Hard Drives and surveillance tapes from local businesses to be able to derive their own timeline. Since butler a couple months ago, the Secret Service added to its protective detail around Donald Trump. Yesterday, the Trump Campaign said, we need more, obviously. Their argument, there was another guy, in the bushes, didnt get a shot at Donald Trump, thank goodness, but something has to change given the threats against former president Donald Trump and, by The Way, gets Vice President harris, as well. Is there a look that people are taking now about changing The Way theyre protecting Donald Trump after now two attempts on his life . Two conversations going on right now. The Acting Director of the Secret Service saying we need a paradigm shift. We cant be so reactive. We have to be out there. We have to have a protective front. Theyre acknowledging that in the Secret Service. As far as the immediate need, what youre referencing, what the Trump Campaign is asking for here, is basically to have a president Ial Detail. We chatted about this yesterday. Hes not Donald Trump wouldnt get a communications package. Hes not the commander in chief. He doesnt need the secure com associated with the responsibility. But is there a way to get it closer, where youre locking down more areas, where youre in the instance of the Golf Course, and its just a hobby, but it is likely Donald Trump will want to golf on his own course on the weekends when hes not campaigning. Do you lock down the whole area now . Of course, you can do all those thing, but the drain on personnel and resources and how much youre relying on local Law Enforcement is a huge concern. Its not, well, we only have a handful of days left to Election Day. Were talking about 49 days until Election Day. If youre going to have that as he crisscrosses the country, thats going to be a significant drain in places that have a Sheriffs Department the size of Palm Beach county, in places like new York City, as you go to smaller communities. Right. This is an ongoing concern of the Secret Service Golf Courses. Sprawling. Since Donald Trump came into public office, i would drive past Golf Courses where i knew he played. Including this one. Yeah. The question i had is, why is the Secret Service letting him go on Golf Courses . A lot of courses are tucked away. These Trump Courses are on busy roads. This one especially is on a very busy road. Carol linig did reporting, as did our own Jonathan Lemire, and Secret Service photos of how Yo Shoot Longrange photos of him at his club and warned an assassin could kill him the same way. Trump insisted the clubs were safe and he was going to keep Playing Golf. Despite the fact that his habit, quote, at the semipublic courses put his life at risk for many years. Anyone who had any X Experience with the Secret Service know that it is, in a way, i would say, teamwork. The Secret Service can do what they can do. They also have to warn you as to when their job is harder. Right. Or their job is made impossible. If the former President Or Anybody chooses to take that risk, you know, they cant stop him from what we wants to do. But their ability to protect him goes down in a massive, sprawling Golf Course surrounded by public roads. Right. And thats the important thing. Jonathan lemire, youve reported on this. Golfing at a secluded, private club at Marthas Vineyard or a secluded, private club maralago. A secluded, private club at Bel Air Country club, or you name it. These private secluded clubs are one thing. Youve seen this course. Its along busy thoroughfares, and it caused problems, back to when Donald Trump started running for president. Whatd you learn in your reporting . Senior staff would be anxious when Donald Trump went away to Bedminster Or Maralago to golf, because theyd be afraid of which friend hed run into who would plant a idea theyd have to deal with when he came back to them, but there were also Security Concerns. Particularly at this course here, west Palm Beach, a couple miles from his maralago resort. Theres no course at maralago itself, but this is the closest one. And The One in sterling, virginia. I remember talking to a senior Trump Aide during his administration. There was an unflattering photograph a photographer had gotten, perched outside of the Security Bubble, but a photographer had set up a spot and took a picture as trump was playing. The senior aide said, well, the president s reaction to then, the then president , was that he was unhappy that it made him look bad, his swing look bad. But he said, the real concern, as Secret Service told us, that if a photographer can stand there and take that shot, what is stopping a Wouldbe Assassin, not with a camera, but with a gun, taking a very different kind of shot . That has been a concern while he was in office and even more so since then because, as a former president , he simply doesnt have the Security Footprint he did while he was in office. This has been a longrunning concern. Two file notes. When President Obama golfed, where he did so for Security Reasons in part, was at andrews joint force base. They could completely secure it, so there was less of an issue. We heard from President Biden yesterday saying, yes, Secret Service needed help. They need more resources here. Senator schumer, the majority leader, said hell put it in the budget. But House Speaker Johnson indicated he doesnt think this is a funding issue. It might be a nogo. Tom, theres one element thats hanging over this thing. Its the Threat Level posed to public people, the Threat Level to the nation itself in terms of intelligence. What is the Threat Level today . I havent seen it this high in the ten plus years ive been in the job. Terrorism, the threat from isisk, from foreign organizations. We have the now constant threats of, you know its being mocked now because the phrase is so used, but the Lone Wolf threat. Somebody who buries themselves in the internet and finds the conspiracy. Its like a jukebox. Theyre selecting whatever song appeals to them. Whether its white supremacy, isis, all sorts of ideology. Whenever somebody does these events anymore, when they get to the heart of why they did it, its never just one thing. So were not talking about Al Qaeda and going back 23 years ago. Were talking about people that just find something online that gives them the juice to go out and, i want to do something. I want to go after somebody. You have that constant threat which is incredible. What radar was this person on before they were in the bushes outside of trumps Golf Course yesterday . Then you have the more organized threat domestically. You have iran who obviously has an interest in killing former Trump Administration officials, if not the former president himself. By The Way, that threat will continue if Donald Trump loses in november. That is something that, again, the Secret Service will have to deal with. Hes a former president so he will get protection. I havent seen it this way. Why i say that is based on people ive known a very long time that are in the intelligence, the Terrorism Community, that are talking to people overseas all the time. Frankly, the cases. You can believe me or not, the people im talking to know what theyre talking about. Just look at the cases weve seen in the last couple of weeks. We had somebody arrested in canada who was indicted on his way to america. Wanted to kill jews just before october 7th. Obviously, the anniversary of Hamas Attack on israel. Youve had a person who wanted to who had definitive ties to tehran, wanted to try to find somebody here, a hitman, to go after former trump officials. Youre seeing these arrests. Youre seeing these cases. Its not just little things we hear in the ether. I think it is an incredibly difficult time. As the acting secret Service Director mentioned yesterday, this paradigm shift, i think were in a whole new world. One thing thats occurring that hadnt occurred in elections past, everybody Posts Everything on Social Media constantly. Now, theres a history of it. So you know where children of president ial candidates are or what they like to do or what these families like to do. If youre in the internet all day and you want to find that threat, it is there for you to find. Thats a challenge for the Secret Service. Nbc news national Law Enforcement and Intelligence Correspondent, tom winter, thank you very much for being on this morning. Former President Trump is blaming democrats after the second apparent Assassination Attempt against him. In an interview with Fox News digital yesterday, trump pointed the finger at President Biden and Vice President harris, claiming their rhetoric is causing him to be shot at. He claimed Biden And Harris are, quote, destroying the country, both from the inside and out. He later warned on Social Media, quote, because of this communist left rhetoric thats not inflammatory, is it . And itll only get worse. Jd vance echoed those remarks while speaking in atlanta Last Night. You know the big difference between conseratives and liberals is that No One has tried to kill Kamala Harris in the last couple of months, and two people now have tried to kill Donald Trump in the last couple of months. Id say thats pretty strong evidence that the left needs to tone down the rhetoric and needs to cut this crap out. Somebody is going to get hurt by it, and it is going to destroy this country, all of us. I promise, i will do my part to tone down the rhetoric, but, in particular, the people telling you that Donald Trump needs to be eliminated, you guys need to cut it out or youre going to get somebody hurt. Well, this is what you would call gaslighting. Yup. Of the first order. Lets bring in right now ceo of the mEssina Group, Jim Messina. Served as chief Deputy Staff for President Obama. Chair of the defenders superpac, whose goal it is to combat republicanled Voter Suppression efforts. Im not even going to respond to the hypocrisy. Ill just read from The New York Times this morning. Peter baker, in his latest analysis for The New York Times titled Trump Outrage in the modern era of political violence. Bi Peter Baker writes this in part, at the heart of Todays Eruption of political violence is mr. Trump. A figure who seems to inspire people to make threats or take actions, both for him and against him. He has long favored the language of violence in his political discourse. Encouraging supporters to beat up hecklers, threatening to shoot looters and undocumented migrants. Mocking a near fatal attack on the husband of the democratic House Speaker, and suggesting that a general He Deems Disloyal Be executed. Mr. Trump insists his fiery speech to supporters on January 6th, 2021, was not responsible for the subsequent ransacking of the capitol, he resisted pleas from advisors and his own daughter, other Family Members, as well, that day to do more to stop the assault. He even suggested that the mob might be right to want to hang his Vice President and has since embraced the attackers as patriots whom he may pardon if elected again. Jim messina, this is, again, its barely even worth responding to, and i can say that on a personal level. You know, him suggesting that i should be executed after he was angry at my Covid Reporting, which basically was just reading his quotes over six months time, agreeing that Liz Cheney should be set before a Military Tribunal because she endorsed Kamala Harris. Suggesting that violence should be done to others, and his supporters suggesting that the hosts of the abc debate should be imprisoned. And he welcomes to maralago people who have racist beliefs, among other things, who are not yeah. Democratic in their values. Were talking about violence here. Again, the real introduction to violent rhetoric in america, in president ial campaigns, has been unprecedented since trump first came onto the scene in 2016. It really has, joe and mika. Youre exactly right. Look at richmond, virginia, where he said both sides were good people. You know, as they burn their Tiki Torches and chanted antijewish sentiments. Jd vance is the latest symptom of what trump started. I mean, he admitted the Springfield Pet Thing was made up by him and others to highlight an issue. Now, theyre on their Third Day of not being able to go to school because of Bomb Threats. And not having a government because of Bomb Threats in City Hall. This is what he has wrought upon American Politics. Its now everywhere. His acolytes and his party has become willing enablers of this. Were seeing this All Over The Place with 49 days left in the election. His supporters have filed over 100 lawsuits around the country trying to restrict voting rights, trying to restrict early voting, trying to change the laws to favor their antidemocratic Movement Right as people are going to the polls. We have never seen threats to democracy like these guys and Donald Trump, and in seven weeks, if were not very careful, he could win again. Jonathan lemire, we can take, as Joe Said, Jd Vances comments with a grain of salt. He has to say whatever the Puppet Master makes him say. But we should point out that he is the elected representative, the united States Senator of the people who actually are being put in danger by the rhetoric coming out of his campaign in springfield, ohio. Bigger picture here, Donald Trump says that democrats are the enemy within. He says they are destro