The United States’ government has arraigned a suspect, Ryan Routh for allegedly attempting to kill former President Donald Trump at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida on Monday.
NBC News reports that the suspect was taken into custody and identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58.
He hid in bushes and pointed a semiautomatic rifle with a scope at Trump, who was about 400 yards away, officials said.
Routh was charged today with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Court records show more than 100 criminal counts have been filed against Routh in North Carolina.
He has previously spoken about his efforts to recruit people to fight in support of Ukraine against Russia.
Routh was also accused of writing a book urging Iran to kill the former president. Ryan Routh portrayed himself online as a man who built housing for homeless people in Hawaii.
He also tried to recruit fighters for Ukraine to defend itself against Russia. He described his support and then disdain for Donald Trump — even urging Iran to kill the former president.
“You are free to assassinate Trump,” Routh wrote of Iran in a self-published book in 2023, “Ukraine’s Unwinnable War,” which described the former president as a “fool” and “buffoon” for both the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots and the “tremendous blunder” of leaving the Iran nuclear deal.
Routh also wrote that he once voted for Trump, apportioning a part of the blame to himself.
