USA Trump: "Only consistent presidents get shot at"

At his first campaign appearance since the alleged assassination attempt, US presidential candidate Donald Trump linked the incident to political plans.

After the Republican discussed his call for 200 percent tariffs on cars imported from Mexico at the event in Flint, Michigan, he said on Tuesday (local time): "And then you wonder why I get shot at, right? Only consistent presidents get shot at."

On Sunday, the Secret Service fired at an armed man hiding in the bushes at Trump's golf course in the state of Florida while the former president was playing there. The suspect himself did not fire a bullet and fled, but was arrested and charged shortly afterwards. There had already been an attack on Trump two months ago in the state of Pennsylvania. He was slightly injured.

The Secret Service had done a "damn good job", Trump said in Michigan, but also called for more staff for the agency, which is responsible for protecting high-ranking politicians. Speaking about phone calls with US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, he said that both had been "very nice": "In a way, I wish the call hadn't been made". Trump had previously blamed Biden and Harris for the incident.

Trump and Harris will face off in the presidential election on November 5.