Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has escaped an apparent assassination attempt, with shots fired while he was playing golf at his private club in Florida.

A Secret Service agent who was one hole ahead of Trump spotted a rifle barrel sticking out of the fence – later found to be an AK-47 with a scope – at the Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach on Sunday (local time), officials said.

Secret Service agents opened fire on the person, who fled the scene in a black Nissan. The vehicle was later pulled over and the suspect apprehended on an interstate highway and taken into custody.

The FBI said Trump had been the subject of “an apparent assassination attempt” at his Florida golf club.

The suspect’s vehicle on the interstate highway. Photo: Supplied

The dramatic incident comes just two months after Trump was injured in an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13.

Officials at a media briefing later on Sunday said a witness who saw the man fleeing the scene took a picture of the vehicle, which helped authorities track down the suspect.

The Secret Service officer who was on the course and spotted the weapon was praised for doing a “fantastic job”.

“What they do is they have an agent that jumps one hole ahead of time towards where the [former] president was at, and he was able to spot this rifle barrel sticking out of the fence and immediately engaged that individual, at which time the individual took off,” the Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said.

“In the bushes where this guy was is an AK-47 style rifle with a scope, two backpacks – which were hung on the fence that had ceramic tile in them and a GoPro, which he was going to take pictures with.”

The Palm Beach golf course is a private club. Photo: Trump International Golf Course website

Following the latest incident, Trump posted an update to his followers on social media.

“There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumours start spiralling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” he wrote.

“Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me.”

Trump’s campaign had earlier said in a statement he was safe following gunshots in his vicinity, but gave no details.

The Secret Service said it was investigating the incident, which occurred shortly before 2pm on Sunday (local time).

Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr, cited local law enforcement as saying an AK-47 automatic weapon had been found in bushes and a suspect had been apprehended, according to a post on X.

The White House said in a statement that US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had been briefed about the incident and were “relieved to know that he is safe. They will be kept regularly updated by their team”.

Democratic candidate Kamala Harris stated there was no place for violence in America.

“I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe,” she wrote on X.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw outlines the incident. Photo: Getty

Max Egusquiza, of Palm Beach, described the emergency response outside Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course.

“From what I saw, five black unmarked SUVs blocked in a grey Mercedes in front of the golf course. There were about 20 or more cop cars flying from nearby streets,” he said.

Trump was injured in the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania on July 13, just months ahead of the November 5 presidential election in which he is pitted against Democrat Harris.

The first shooting of a US president or major party presidential candidate in more than four decades was a glaring security lapse that forced Kimberly Cheatle to resign as Secret Service director under bipartisan congressional pressure.

Trump was grazed in the right ear and one rally-goer was killed in the gunfire.

The gunman, identified as a 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper.

-with AP