President Donald Trump addressed for the first time the fatal shooting of an armed intruder who breached the perimeter of his Mar-a-Lago estate early Sunday morning, as reported[1] by The New York Post.
The intruder, identified as Austin Tucker Martin, 21, of Cameron, North Carolina, attempted to enter the Palm Beach, Florida, property while carrying a gun and a gas can.
According to law enforcement officials, Martin was shot[2] by U.S. Secret Service agents after he refused commands to drop his weapon.
President Trump, who survived two assassination attempts in 2024, spoke about the incident during his Angel Families event held Monday at the White House. He referenced the risks faced by presidents who draw national attention.
Washington, DC, on June 18, 2025. US President Donald trump meet Juventus will play Emirati club Al-Ain in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Washington’s Audi Field later in the day
“You read about all these crazy shooters, but they only go after consequential presidents,” Trump said. “They don’t go after non-consequential presidents.”
He cited former Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, both of whom were assassinated while in office.
“They were consequential,” Trump said. “They only go after consequential. So maybe I want to be a little bit less consequential.”
The audience responded with light laughter.
President Trump was not at Mar-a-Lago at the time of the incident. On Saturday evening, he and First Lady Melania Trump hosted a dinner for governors at the White House.
During his remarks Monday in the East Room, President Trump also reflected on his own mortality while addressing families who lost loved ones to crimes committed by illegal migrants.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be around,” he told attendees. “Got a lot of people gunning for me, don’t I?”
President Donald Trump: “I don’t know how long I’ll be around. I’ve got a lot of people gunning for me, don’t I?” @atrupar[4] (2026)pic.twitter.com/ChxP23CUKz[5]
He described the Angel Families as the “bravest people” and spoke about the connection he feels when meeting them.
“This is a group of people that, for whatever reason, I just feel, maybe the warmest of them,” he said.
The incident at Mar-a-Lago unfolded around 1:30 a.m. Sunday. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw detailed the confrontation during a press conference later that day.
According to Bradshaw, Martin was found on the property carrying a rifle and a gas can.
He was “ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with them,” Bradshaw said.
“At which time he put down the gas can, and raised the shotgun to a shooting position.”
Secret Service agents assigned to protect the president responded immediately, opening fire and “neutralized the threat,” according to Bradshaw.
The shooting occurred just a few miles from Trump’s West Palm Beach golf club, where another assassination attempt took place during the 2024 election cycle.
In that incident, Ryan Routh attempted to target President Trump while he was playing golf. Secret Service agents intervened before Routh could carry out the attack. Earlier this month, Routh was sentenced to life in prison.
President Trump also survived a separate assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024.
Gunman Thomas Crooks fired eight shots, grazing the president’s ear and killing an attendee before being taken out by a Secret Service counter-sniper.
Federal authorities continue to review the circumstances surrounding Sunday’s incident at Mar-a-Lago.
