Trump Assassination Attempt Suspect Left A Letter About Killing Trump, Feds Allege
by Ty Roush · ForbesTopline
The man arrested in connection with an assassination attempt on Donald Trump left a witness a letter months before the incident discussing a plan to kill the former president, the Justice Department said Monday, as the department pushes to hold the suspect in jail before a federal gun trial.
Key Facts
A letter—allegedly found in a box given to an unnamed witness by Ryan Routh, 58—said: “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you,” adding, “I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster.”
The handwritten letter went on to say, “I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job.”
The box remained unopened by the witness until after Routh’s arrest on Sept. 15 and also contained ammunition, a metal pipe, “miscellaneous building materials,” unspecified tools, four phones and other letters, according to the DOJ.
When Routh was arrested, law enforcement discovered a handwritten list of dates in August, September and October in his car, which also included locations Trump had appeared or was scheduled to appear, prosecutors said.
Routh was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, though he could still face additional charges in the case.
Routh’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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What To Watch For
Routh is scheduled to appear in court for a bond hearing at 11 a.m., during which prosecutors will argue Routh should remain detained before a trial. During an earlier hearing, Judge Ryon McCabe ordered Routh to remain in custody after prosecutors argued he posed a flight risk and posed a danger to the community. His arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 30.
Surprising Fact
Routh reportedly wrote in a self-published book last year, “Ukraine’s Unwinnable War,” that Iran was “free to assassinate Trump” after his “tremendous blunder” of backing out of a nuclear deal with the country.
Key Background
The sheriff in Palm Beach County, Florida, said last week a Secret Service agent fired at a gunman hiding in shrubbery at Trump International Golf Club. A man then fled from the bushes after the shots were fired, but left behind an AK-47-style rifle with a scope and other supplies, prosecutors said. Routh—who was later arrested along a Florida highway—allegedly spent nearly 12 hours in the bushes around the golf club before he was spotted by Secret Service, according to his indictment. Prosecutors say Routh did not fire a shot and never had a clear line of sight to shoot at Trump. Trump’s campaign indicated the former president was safe after the incident, which the FBI said appeared to be the second assassination attempt on Trump in as many months, following a shooting at a July rally in Pennsylvania in which Trump’s ear was struck.