WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. 性视界传媒 The man suspected in an apparent assassination attempt targeting Donald Trump camped outside a Florida golf course with food and a rifle for nearly 12 hours, lying in wait for the former president before a Secret Service agent thwarted the potential attack and opened fire, according to court documents filed Monday.
Ryan Wesley Routh did not fire any shots, never had Trump in his line of sight and sped away after being shot at by an agent who spotted him, officials said. He was arrested in a neighboring county.
Routh, 58, appeared in federal court in West Palm Beach to face federal firearms charges, starting a criminal case in the final weeks of a presidential race already touched by violence and upheaval. Though no one was injured, the episode marked the second attempt on Trump性视界传媒檚 life in as many months, raising questions about the security provided to him during a time of amped-up political rhetoric and what the Secret Service chief called an 性视界传媒渦nprecedented and hyper-dynamic threat environment.性视界传媒
Even as Trump性视界传媒檚 Republican allies and some Democrats demanded answers about how a would-be shooter was able to get so close to Trump, Ronald Rowe Jr., the Secret Service性视界传媒檚 acting director, offered a fiery defense of the agents he said were 性视界传媒渞ising to this moment性视界传媒 despite needing additional resources.
性视界传媒淩ight now, we are redlining them, and they are rising to this moment, and they are meeting the challenges right now,性视界传媒 Rowe said, citing recent political conventions and other major events that required protective details.
Authorities continued to examine Routh性视界传媒檚 potential motive and movements in the days and weeks leading up to Sunday, when a Secret Service agent assigned to Trump性视界传媒檚 security detail spotted a firearm poking out of shrubbery on the West Palm Beach golf course where Trump was playing.
The agent fired, and Routh escaped into a sport utility, leaving behind a digital camera, a backpack, a loaded SKS-style assault rifle and a plastic bag containing food.
He had been at the golf course性视界传媒檚 tree line from 1:59 a.m. to 2:31 p.m., according to an FBI affidavit that cited cellphone data. The FBI is continuing to investigate how long the Hawaii man had been in Florida, said Jeffrey Veltri, the special agent in charge of the FBI性视界传媒檚 Miami field office.
Body camera footage posted Monday on Facebook by the Martin County sheriff性视界传媒檚 office showed Routh性视界传媒檚 arrest. The video shows him walking backward with his hands over his head on the side of a road before being handcuffed and led away by law enforcement.
Coming just weeks after a July 13 shooting at a Pennsylvania campaign rally in which Trump was wounded by a gunman性视界传媒檚 bullet, the latest assassination attempt accelerated concerns that violence continues to infect American presidential politics.
Both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump性视界传媒檚 challenger in the November election, denounced the thwarted attack, with Harris saying in a post on X: 性视界传媒淚 am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.性视界传媒
The FBI has interviewed family members, friends and colleagues and has served a battery of search warrants to collect evidence. No motive has been disclosed, and Routh invoked his right to an attorney when questioned.
Authorities did not immediately reveal any new details about Routh性视界传媒檚 background or allege a particular motive in charging documents.
Investigators are also examining Routh性视界传媒檚 large online footprint, which suggests a man of evolving political viewpoints, culminating in an apparent disdain for Trump and intense outrage at global events concerning China and especially Ukraine.
性视界传媒淵ou are free to assassinate Trump,性视界传媒 Routh wrote of Iran in an apparently self-published 2023 book titled 性视界传媒淯kraine性视界传媒檚 Unwinnable War,性视界传媒 which described the former president as a 性视界传媒渇ool性视界传媒 and 性视界传媒渂uffoon性视界传媒 for both the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots and the 性视界传媒渢remendous blunder性视界传媒 of leaving the Iran nuclear deal.
Routh wrote that he once voted for Trump and must take part of the blame for the 性视界传媒渃hild that we elected for our next president that ended up being brainless.性视界传媒
He also tried to recruit fighters for Ukraine to defend itself against Russia, and he had a website seeking to raise money and recruit volunteers to fight for Kyiv.
Voter records show he registered as an unaffiliated voter in North Carolina in 2012, most recently voting in person during the state性视界传媒檚 Democratic primary in March.
Routh also made 19 small donations totaling $140 since 2019 to ActBlue, a political action committee that supports Democratic candidates, according to federal campaign finance records.
One of the two criminal counts alleges that he illegally possessed his gun in spite of multiple felony convictions, including two charges of possessing stolen goods in 2002 in North Carolina. The other charge alleges that the serial number was obliterated and unreadable to the naked eye, in violation of federal law. His attorney declined to comment after Monday性视界传媒檚 brief court appearance, when he was ordered to remain locked up after prosecutors argued that he was a flight risk.
Routh was the subject of a previously closed 2019 tip to the FBI that alleged that he was a felon in possession of a firearm, Veltri said. The FBI interviewed the tipster, who did not verify the initial information, he said. The FBI passed that information to local law enforcement in Honolulu.
The arrest focused fresh attention on the challenges of protecting Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, not only during campaign events but also when he is off the trail, often at his own clubs and properties. Sunday性视界传媒檚 golf course outing was an off-the-record event, meaning in Secret Service terminology that it was not on his official calendar.
Even so, Rowe said, the Secret Service had in place the 性视界传媒渉ighest levels of protection性视界传媒 as directed by President Joe Biden, including 性视界传媒渃ounter sniper team elements性视界传媒 and 性视界传媒渓ocal tactical assets.性视界传媒
The Trump shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, has made clear the need for a paradigm shift in how the Secret Service protects dignitaries, he said.
性视界传媒淲e need to get out of a reactive model and get to a readiness model. There could be another geopolitical event that could put the United States into a kinetic conflict or some other issue that may result in additional responsibilities性视界传媒 when it comes to Secret Service protectees, he said.
