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Ryan Wesley Routh

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Ryan Wesley Routh
Routh's mug shot after his arrest
Born (1966-02-18) February 18, 1966 (age 58)
Guilford County, North Carolina, U.S.
Known forAccused of the Attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Florida
Criminal statusPre-trial detention
MotiveUnder investigation
Criminal charge
  • Attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate
  • Possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
  • Assaulting a federal officer
  • Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
  • Possession of a firearm with the serial number removed
Details
DateSeptember 15, 2024
Location(s)Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach
WeaponSKS semiautomatic 7.62x39 caliber rifle
Imprisoned atFederal Detention Center, Miami[1]
Ryan Routh's voice
Ryan Routh discusses why he wants to be involved in the Russo-Ukrainian War in an interview with Newsweek Romania
Recorded June 14, 2022

Ryan Wesley Routh (born February 18, 1966)[2] is an American man who allegedly attempted to assassinate 45th U.S. President and 47th president-elect and the then Republican Party nominee for the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump, on September 15, 2024. Routh's motives are currently under investigation.

On September 15, 2024, a Secret Service agent shot at least four rounds at Routh, who was hiding with an SKS-style rifle[3] in shrubbery at the Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach. He was allegedly pointing his weapon through the fence line of the golf course, 300–500 yards away from the former president, who was moving between holes five and six alongside Republican megadonor and real estate investor Steve Witkoff. Routh fled the scene, but was later arrested as the prime suspect.[4][5] An update given by the FBI on September 16 mentioned that Routh had not fired his weapon.[4][6][7]

Routh has pleaded not guilty to five federal charges, including attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate. A preliminary trial date was set for February 10, 2025.[8] Routh could face life in prison if convicted.[9]

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Routh was born in 1966[10] in Guilford County, North Carolina.[11] For most of his life, he was a resident of Greensboro,[12] where he attended North Carolina A&T State University for two semesters in 1995.[13] He later ran a roofing business.[12] In January 1989, Routh was married[12][14] and had at least two sons and a daughter.[15][16][17][18][19] Routh divorced his wife on January 22, 2003.[20]

On April 2, 1991, Routh fought and chased a suspected rapist around an office building who was also wanted for a string of burglaries, assaults, and robberies in both Greensboro and out-of-state in New York. Terrance Bryant (born October 28, 1962), then 28 of Greensboro, was taken into custody later that evening and was sentenced the following year to life in prison in May 1992.[21] For confronting the suspect, he was honored as a "super citizen" and awarded a "Law Enforcement Oscar" a few months after the chase by the Greensboro chapter of the International Union of Police Associations.[22]

On December 15–16, 2002, Routh was convicted of possessing a firearm; resisting, delaying and obstructing a law enforcement officer and driving with license revoked after a three-hour stand-off with police. He was pulled over while driving, and during the traffic stop he put his hand on a gun and then drove to a nearby roofing business, where he barricaded himself inside.[19][23][24] In 2003, he was sentenced for driving without a license, carrying a concealed weapon and hit-and-run. On February 10, 2010, he was convicted of possessing stolen goods. For each of these charges he was given probation.[25]

In 2018, he moved to Kaʻaʻawa, Hawaii. There he started a shed-building business with his son, Adam.[19] He and his son, Oran, had a falling out and had not talked prior to the assassination attempt, although following the attempt he said that Routh was "a loving and caring father, and honest, hardworking man" and that "it doesn’t sound like the man I know to do anything crazy, much less violent."[26]

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Routh holding up a banner during a rally in central Kyiv, Ukraine on April 30, 2022

Routh claimed on his social media accounts, as well as in 2022 interviews with The New York Times, Newsweek Romania, and Der Tagesspiegel to have made efforts to recruit foreign soldiers for Ukraine in its war against Russia.[23][27][28] Newsweek reported Routh had claimed to have fought in Ukraine,[23] while he told The New York Times he did not fight in Ukraine.[29] Routh said in a 2022 interview with a Romanian reporter in Kyiv that he flew to Ukraine to join the army in the months after Russia's full-scale invasion, but learned that he was "not an ideal candidate" for the battlefield because he was in his mid-50s with no military experience. Later in 2022, Routh said in an interview that after he was rejected for military service, he began recruiting volunteer soldiers for the Ukrainian military.[30] Routh complained of roadblocks to Ukraine admitting foreign fighters, telling the publication Semafor that "Ukraine is very often hard to work with, they're afraid that anybody and everybody is a Russian spy".[20][31] Routh was filmed at an April 2022 protest in Independence Square in Kyiv.[32]

A former volunteer for Ukraine's International Legion, Evelyn Aschenbrenner, branded Routh as "delusional" and a "liar" over his claims that he recruited for the Ukrainian organization, saying Routh was "not, and never has been, associated with the International Legion or the Ukrainian Armed Forces at all". Aschenbrenner said of Routh "He was combative. He was argumentative. He refused repeatedly to understand basic army policy", further adding "There was delusions of grandeur and [he was] very disconnected from reality". The International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine said in a statement that Routh had "never been part of, associated with, or linked" to it "in any capacity."[33][34][35]

Chelsea Walsh, a travel nurse who'd met Routh in Ukraine, viewed Routh as "a threat to others" and a "ticking time bomb", and warned a Homeland Security agent upon her return from Ukraine. She claimed that Routh decided to dedicate his life to protecting Ukraine upon first hearing about the war in 2022, and that he would become "vengeful" and "angry" if he did not get his way. Sometime in 2023, Walsh ultimately reported Routh to the FBI for his behavior.[36] Routh had also claimed to her to have organized a protest outside President Volodymyr Zelensky's home and was jailed for it, although this was not confirmed.[37] Walsh repeated her concerns to both the FBI and Interpol.[38]

Donald Trump assassination attempt

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Main article: Attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Florida
Routh being apprehended following the assassination attempt

At 1:59 a.m on September 15, 2024, Routh allegedly took a position at Trump's golf course. He was later spotted by an agent at 1:31 p.m.[39] The agent fired at Routh, who dropped his weapon and fled in a nearby vehicle.[40] After the shot was fired, Trump was escorted off the course by his Secret Service protective detail.[41] Afterwards, Routh was arrested as the potential suspect and later charged with two offenses: possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with the serial number removed.[42] On the day of his arraignment, he was seen smiling and laughing with his lawyer.[43] Footage of his arrest was also released to the public.[44] Routh was charged on September 24 with attempted assassination of a presidential candidate, as well as "assaulting a federal officer" and "possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence."[45]

Arrest of son

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As part of investigations following the assassination attempt, authorities searched the Greensboro home of Ryan Routh's son, Oran, who had previously defended his father in an interview.[26] They reportedly discovered hundreds of child pornography files on Oran Routh's electronic devices, and charged him with two counts of possessing and receiving child sexual abuse material.[15] He was later released to his mother's custody, with his trial scheduled to take place in December 2024.[46]

Pre-trial

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Routh discussing his failure to assassinate Trump in a note months prior

On September 23, the Department of Justice publicized a note written by Routh several months prior to his arrest in which he described an "assassination attempt" and offered a bounty for the killing of Donald Trump. In the letter, Routh reportedly stated, "This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you," and went on to offer "$150,000 to whomever can complete the job."[47] Authorities believe that this letter may have been an indication of Routh's foreshadowing of his later actions as well as his acknowledgment of failure in carrying out the alleged plot.[48] Former US Attorney General William Barr criticized the Department of Justice for publicizing the note, as it told people to ‘finish the job’ of killing Trump with a cash award, which could lead to potential future assassination attempts and plots.[49]

Routh pled not guilty on September 30.[50] A preliminary trial date was set by Judge Aileen Cannon on November 18.[51]

On October 17, Routh's lawyers asked Cannon to recuse herself to avoid the appearance of bias in favor of Trump, due to Cannon dismissing the federal prosecution of Trump regarding his possession of classified documents two months prior.[52] However, Cannon refused to step down.[53] As a result, Routh's trial date was moved to February 10, 2025.

On November 4, one day before the 2024 United States presidential election, Routh sent a letter to a local newsroom stating that if Trump wins the election, it will mark "the end of Democracy and the beginning of a Civil War" and that Trump "will not let go of the power given to him." He also begged the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office to "help lead the country the way to Democracy." Prosecutors noted that Routh's handwriting of the letter matched the same handwriting as the alleged note written months prior discussing his failure to assassinate Trump, which confirmed Routh wrote the note.[9]

Political views

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According to posts on his Twitter account in 2020, Routh has expressed shifting political views over the years. Routh said he made Donald Trump his "choice" in 2016, but by 2020, he voiced his dissatisfaction, stating, "I will be glad when you are gone."[54][55] Voting records showed that Routh requested an absentee ballot in 2016, but did not actually vote.[56] In a self-published e-book (Ukraine's Unwinnable War: The Fatal Flaw of Democracy, World Abandonment and the Global Citizen-Taiwan, Afghanistan, North Korea and the end of Humanity)[42] in 2023, he wrote about his stated previous support for Trump by stating, "I am man enough to say that I misjudged and made a terrible mistake". He further went on to write "you are free to assassinate Trump as well as me for that error in judgment".[17] The passage in question was specifically addressed to the Iranian government.[57] His son stated that Routh hated Trump like "every reasonable person does."[26]

Routh also supported Bernie Sanders in 2020, criticizing Joe Biden as "Sleepy Joe". In 2024, he expressed concern over democracy in a post tagging Biden, and telling him his campaign slogan should be "Keep America Democratic and Free".[58] In 2020, he also supported Tulsi Gabbard, calling for an executive order on police misconduct[59] and he made several small donations to the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue, contributing 19 times in 2019 and 2020 with amounts ranging from $1 to $25, as recorded by the Federal Election Commission.[20] By early 2024, he suggested a Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy ticket for the Republican primary.[60] In 2024, he voted in the Democratic primary in Guilford County, North Carolina.[25] Routh had additionally donated $140 to Democratic causes since 2019 and is registered in North Carolina as an independent voter.[17][19]

Routh has stated his support for Taiwan, and in his self-published text discussed its political status and called for international intervention to protect the island from China.[42] According to various posts on his Twitter account in 2023, Routh tagged the Haitian National Police and asserted that he had thousands of NATO-trained Afghan soldiers who "wish to serve for the Haiti national police at cheap wages."[61][62]

His other posts on social media promoted COVID-19 conspiracy theories and questioned the historical claim of Jewish people to Israel.[63]

See also

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References

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  2. ^ Gurman, Sadie. "Trump Safe After Another Apparent Assassination Attempt". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  3. ^ "READ: Criminal complaint against suspect in apparent Trump assassination attempt". September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Breen, Kerry; Schecter, Anna (September 16, 2024). "What's known about Ryan Wesley Routh, suspect in possible Trump assassination attempt on Florida golf course". CBS News. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
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  13. ^ Stratta, Peter (September 16, 2024). "Suspected Trump gunman has multiple ties to Guilford County". WXLV. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
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  20. ^ a b c "Man in custody after Trump golf club incident was once convicted of possessing a machine gun". NBC News. September 16, 2024. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  21. ^ "Man gets 106 years for preying on elderly". News and Record. May 2, 1992. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  22. ^ Woodall, Bernie (August 26, 1991). "Police Organization Honors 'Super Citizen'". News and Record. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  23. ^ a b c Henderson, Barney; Lewis, Kaitlin (September 15, 2024). "Ryan Wesley Routh, would-be Trump assassin, fought in Ukraine, supports war". Newsweek. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
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  27. ^ "EXCLUSIV Recrutor pentru Legiunea Internațională: Vă încurajez să veniți și să luptați în Ucraina | Newsweek Romania". newsweek.ro. June 14, 2022. Archived from the original on September 15, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  28. ^ Leber, Sebastian (September 16, 2024). ""Ich drücke den Abzug gern": Tagesspiegel-Reporter traf den Mann, der Trump erschießen wollte" ["I would love to pull the trigger" - Tagesspiegel reporter met the man who wanted to shoot Trump]. Der Tagesspiegel (in German). Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  29. ^ Gibbons-Neff, Thomas (September 15, 2024). "New York Times Reporter Revisits Earlier Interview With Suspect at Trump Golf Course". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
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  31. ^ "Elite US-trained Afghan soldiers want to fight for Ukraine". YouTube. March 9, 2023. Archived from the original on November 6, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
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  33. ^ van Brugen, Isabel (September 16, 2024). "Exclusive: Ryan Wesley Routh "delusional and a liar'—Ukraine volunteer". Newsweek. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
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  36. ^ "Who Is Ryan Routh? What We Know About the Suspected Trump Gunman". September 18, 2024.
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  40. ^ Richer, Alanna Durkin; Long, Colleen; Tucker, Eric; Miller, Zeke; Matat, Stephany (September 16, 2024). "Trump was the subject of an apparent assassination attempt at his Florida golf club, the FBI says". Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  41. ^ Herb, Jeremy (September 17, 2024). "Inside the fateful 12 hours of an apparent assassination attempt outside the Trump International Golf Club". CNN. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  42. ^ a b c Picheta, Rob; Yeung, Rob; Rebane, Teele; Harvey, Lex (September 16, 2024). "What we know about Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect in the apparent second Trump assassination attempt". CNN. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  43. ^ Coen, Susie (September 16, 2024). "Suspect in Trump assassination attempt laughs in court". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  44. ^ Smith, Stephen (September 16, 2024). "Bodycam video shows arrest of suspect in apparent Trump attempted assassination". CBS News. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  45. ^ Schonfeld, Zach (September 24, 2024). "Trump suspect charged with attempted assassination, case lands in Cannon's court". The Hill. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  46. ^ Mikkelsen, Emily. "Son of man accused in Trump assassination attempt pleads not guilty to federal child porn charges". WGHP. Archived from the original on October 3, 2024. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  47. ^ Goudsward, Andrew (September 23, 2024). "Alleged Trump gunman wrote of 'assassination attempt,' prosecutors say". Reuters.
  48. ^ Thrush, Glenn (September 23, 2024). "Suspect in Trump Assassination Attempt Outlined Plans in Note". New York Times. Archived from the original on September 23, 2024. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  49. ^ King, Ryan (September 23, 2024). "Bill Barr blasts DOJ for releasing letter of alleged would-be Trump assassin Ryan Wesley Routh: 'Dumbfounded'". Aol.
  50. ^ Matat, Stephany; Richter, Alanna Durkin (September 30, 2024). "Man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump pleads not guilty to federal charges". Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 30, 2024. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  51. ^ "November trial set for suspect in Trump assassination attempt". Reuters. October 1, 2024. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  52. ^ Vlachou, Marita (October 18, 2024). "Man Who Attempted To Assassinate Trump In Florida Wants Judge Aileen Cannon Off His Case". HuffPost. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  53. ^ "Judge won't step down from Trump assassination attempt case. Here's why". WFLX. October 29, 2024. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  54. ^ "Suspect in Donald Trump assassination attempt may have been 'politically motivated' ADL says". The Jerusalem Post. September 16, 2024. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  55. ^ "Officials: Suspect in assassination attempt on Trump isn't Republican Fact check". USA Today. September 17, 2024. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  56. ^ "Contrary To Online Claims, Trump Suspect Is Registered Independent Voter". Barron's. AFP. September 16, 2024. Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  57. ^ Gerstein, Josh (September 16, 2024). "North Carolina man charged in Trump incident may have waited near his golf course for nearly 12 hours". Politico. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  58. ^ Brooks, Brad (September 16, 2024). "Ryan Routh: What we know about suspect in Trump assassination attempt". Reuters. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  59. ^ "Ryan Wesley Routh: What we know about suspect in Trump assassination attempt in Palm Beach County". WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm. September 16, 2024. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  60. ^ Guzman, Chad de (September 16, 2024). "What We Know—and Don't Know—So Far About the Trump Golf Course Shooter". TIME. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  61. ^ Vargas, Ramon Antonio (September 16, 2024). "Son of suspect speaks after apparent Trump assassination attempt in Florida". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  62. ^ "Ryan Wesley Routh: The assassination suspect who flew to Ukraine and urged Americans to join him". The Telegraph. September 16, 2024. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  63. ^ Brennan, David; Looft, Chris. "Ryan Wesley Routh: What we know about suspect in Trump 'attempted assassination'". ABC News. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
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