Lara Trump fears for Trump’s life after Mar-a-Lago shooting, cites incendiary remarks as cause

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, said Monday, February 23, that she fears for the president’s life following a deadly confrontation at his Mar-a-Lago estate, arguing that heated political rhetoric has contributed to repeated threats against him.

Her comments came a day after US Secret Service agents shot and killed a man who authorities said attempted to force his way into Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private club and residence.

Lara Trump fears for Donald Trump's safety

Speaking on Fox & Friends, Lara Trump linked the incident to what she described as incendiary language used about the president, including comparisons to Nazis and Adolf Hitler.

“When you casually throw around terms like Nazi, like fascist, like Hitler and racist, what do you think the consequences of that ultimately will be?” she said. “We are better than this as a country.”

She added that repeated attempts on Trump’s life have left his family anxious. "How many chances does one man get? He’s not gonna be lucky enough at some point. Thank God he wasn’t at Mar-a-Lago and the First Lady wasn’t there this weekend. But you don’t get lucky every single time, guys."

Fatal shooting at Mar-a-Lago

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a press conference on Sunday, February 22, that security personnel detected an intruder shortly after 1.30 am inside Mar-a-Lago's inner perimeter. 

A sheriff’s deputy and two Secret Service agents confronted a man who was carrying a shotgun and a gas can, Bradshaw said.

Authorities said the man was ordered to drop the items but instead raised the shotgun into a firing position. The deputy and agents then fired their weapons, killing the suspect at the scene. 

The suspect was later identified as Austin Tucker Martin.

Trump was not at Mar-a-Lago at the time of the incident, and neither was the first lady, Melania Trump.

Threats and past assassination attempts against Trump

The shooting adds to a series of serious security incidents involving the president. Trump was wounded during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, when a bullet grazed his right ear.

His former physician, Republican Rep Ronny Jackson, later said the round came less than a quarter-inch from entering Trump’s head.

A second assassination attempt was foiled on September 15, 2024, when a Secret Service agent discovered Ryan Wesley Routh hiding with a rifle near Trump International Golf Club.

Federal and local authorities said the investigation into Sunday’s shooting at Mar-a-Lago remains ongoing.