OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
A car caught fire near the White House on Saturday evening.
The DC Fire and EMS Department (DCFD) reported that firefighters responded to the blaze on 17th St Northwest, near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, and were able to extinguish the fire swiftly. No injuries have been reported.
As of now, the cause of the fire remains unclear. DCFD shared images of the incident on X.
Another day at the office for @dcfireems, as firefighters made quick work of this car fire on 17th St NW adjacent to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. There were no reported injuries. #DCsBravest pic.twitter.com/cXanobnsR9
— DC Fire and EMS Department (DCFD) (@dcfireems) September 22, 2024
It’s unclear if President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden were at the White House residence at the time.
Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said last week that the Biden-Harris administration not only isn’t cooperating with state agencies looking into the latest assassination plot against former President Donald Trump but that federal law enforcement is actively thwarting the state’s investigation.
In an interview Thursday with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, the two-term governor and former 2024 GOP presidential candidate said state investigators were “rebuffed” by federal authorities when they attempted to gain access to a site where the alleged attacker, Ryan Routh, 58, laid in wait for Trump as he played a round of golf last Sunday at his course near Palm Beach.
“I want to turn to another topic because we were relieved to hear that you are doing your own independent investigation in Florida concerning the second assassination attempt on President Trump,” Ingraham noted to begin her segment with DeSantis on Thursday. “My question to you tonight is, are the Feds being cooperative with your investigation? Are you concerned that you’re not getting the information you need?”
“The answer is, no, they’re not being cooperative. Yes, I am concerned. I mean, for example, we were rebuffed. Our investigators were rebuffed just going to the fence line outside of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach,” DeSantis said.
“And so, I think they’ve taken the position they don’t want the state of Florida to be involved in this. But here’s the thing: there were multiple violations of Florida law across multiple jurisdictions. We think at least three judicial circuits. This guy, Ryan Routh, committed potential violations of Florida law,” he continued.
“So, we have a duty to investigate this. We have a duty to bring the appropriate charges, and we also have a duty to inform the public about how this happened, so I don’t anticipate they’re being cooperative,” the governor added. “I think that they’ve just taken that position, and I think that that’s unfortunate because even though I’ve been very clear, the state of Florida is going to do an investigation. You know, I’ve not disputed their right to also investigate. It’s the federal government he was in their protective custody as a presidential candidate.
“But let us do this. So, hopefully, that tune will change. But I can tell you right now, Laura, we have not gotten a lot of receptive, receptive response” from the Biden-Harris administration, DeSantis said.
Later in the interview, Ingraham and DeSantis discussed the clouded history of Routh and what led him to plan an assassination attempt against Trump.
“How did he end up in Florida to begin with? What does this pathway this guy has taken to end up in those bushes trying to assassinate the former President of the United States and current Republican nominee?” DeSantis said.
“How did that happen? And we have not gotten answers about Butler” Pennsylvania, the site of the first assassination attempt against Trump in July, the governor continued. “We haven’t gotten answers about things like the Las Vegas shooting from many years ago.
“So, part of the investigation that our folks are doing is they are going to provide evidence they find of motive, evidence of his associations and evidence of his beliefs. I think that’s very important that the public get the real story on that,” he said.