Donald Trump's would-be assassin Ryan Routh once voted for the ex-President
It also emerged that Routh volunteered in Kyiv to help fight the Russian invasion, but was rejected. He was detained on Sunday after pointing an assault rifle at Trump as he played a round of golf in Florida, according to reports
The suspect in the apparent second assassination attempt on Donald Trump is a former supporter of the controversial ex-President.
But in a social media post expressing his regret at voting for the right-wing populist in 2016, Ryan Routh said: “I will be glad when you [are] gone.”
He also penned a self-published book in which he described Trump as a “buffoon” and a “fool”.
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It also emerged yesterday that Routh volunteered in Kyiv to help fight the Russian invasion, but was rejected. He was detained on Sunday after pointing an assault rifle at Trump as he played a round of golf in Florida, according to reports.
His son insisted he was not a violent man, adding: “I’ve never known him to own a gun.” However, 22 years ago, Routh was convicted of possessing a machine gun after a three-hour stand-off with police.
As details emerged of his background, the Secret Service faced questions after the second apparent attempt on Trump’s life in just over two months. The former property mogul was shot in the ear during a rally in July.
Charges
West Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said Routh was arrested as he fled Trump National Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, after a Secret Service member spotted the muzzle of a gun and opened fire.
He briefly appeared in court in West Palm Beach yesterday, facing firearms charges. More serious charges may follow.
Routh is from North Carolina but moved to Hawaii in 2018.
In 2002, he led police on a chase before holing up with a machine gun at his roofing company in Greensboro, North Carolina. Tina Cooper, who worked for Routh at the time, said: “I don’t know what he was thinking. He did some crazy s**t.”
In 2010, Routh was convicted of possessing stolen goods. After his arrest on Sunday, his son, Oran Routh, 35, said: “He’s my dad and all he’s had is a couple traffic tickets, as far as I know. I know my dad and love my dad, but that’s nothing like him. I’ve never known him to own a gun or known him to do anything like this.”
He added: “If my father wants to be a martyr to how broken and disassociated the process has become from the real problems and practical solutions, then that’s his choice. I’m not saying that’s what he’s done, that’s just my own rant being fed up with it all for my entire adult life.”
Routh, 58, voted for Trump as he won North Carolina on his way to the White House in 2016. But in July 2020, he said: “I am man enough to say that I misjudged and made a terrible mistake.
“I and the world hoped that President Trump would be different and better than the candidate. But we all were greatly disappointment and it seems you are getting worse and devolving.
“I will be glad when you [are] gone.” This year, he expressed his support for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic rival in November’s presidential election.
Construction worker Routh spent time in Ukraine in the early days of the war, when President Volodymyr Zelensky invited foreigners to join the newly created International Legion to help Ukrainian forces fight Russia.
While the invitation was intended to attract former soldiers, it also attracted many without qualification or experience to fight. Routh was turned away, according to reports.
Yesterday, Trump, 78, thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement for keeping him safe. In a post on his social media website, Truth Social, he called their work “outstanding”. “I would like to thank everyone for your concern and well wishes. It was certainly an interesting day,” he added.
“Most importantly, I want to thank the U.S. Secret Service, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and his Office of brave and dedicated Patriots, and all of Law Enforcement for the incredible job done today at Trump International in keeping me, as the 45th President of the United States, and the Republican Nominee in the upcoming Presidential Election, SAFE.
“THE JOB DONE WAS ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING. I AM VERY PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “deeply troubled” by the attempt on Trump’s life and added violence “has no part to play at all in any political process”.
He said while on a visit to Rome: “I was very worried by the news about this attempt. Looks like an assassination attempt, very worried about it. Obviously, there’s now an investigation going on, so I won’t say much more about the details.
“But I think it is really important that we’re all very, very clear that violence has no part to play at all in any political process. Let the investigation take its place. But absolute clarity: Violence, no place in political discussion at all, anywhere.”
Sunday’s gunman had positioned himself in bushes on the edge of the golf course and was around 300 yards from Trump.
In July, Thomas Crooks, 20, injured Trump and killed an audience member at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. After opening fire with a rifle from the roof of a nearby building, Crooks was shot and killed by the Secret Service.
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