In a shocking development in the case of the alleged assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, prosecutors have unveiled disturbing details about the suspect’s plans.
Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, arrested on September 15 near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course, left behind a chilling note that outlined his intentions and called for others to complete his failed mission.
The note, addressed “Dear World,” was discovered in a box Routh had given to an unidentified person months before the incident.
Its contents, revealed in a court filing, paint a picture of a man determined to carry out a deadly plot.
“This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you,” Routh wrote. “I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job.”
This startling revelation came during a detention hearing where U.S. Magistrate Ryon McCabe ordered Routh to remain in custody without bail. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Dispoto emphasized the significance of the note, stating, “That’s the message he wanted to send to the world in advance of this incident.”
They didn’t release the Trans Shooter manifesto because they felt it would put a target on LGBTQ people.
Meanwhile,
The DOJ released a note from Ryan Wesley Routh offering $150,000 to anyone who could “finish the job” on President Trump pic.twitter.com/ME8ggkRalm
— Alec Lace (@AlecLace) September 23, 2024
Prosecutors argue that Routh’s actions were far from spontaneous. Cell phone records indicate he traveled from Greensboro, North Carolina, to West Palm Beach on August 14. From August 18 to September 15, his phone accessed cell towers near Trump’s golf course and Mar-a-Lago residence multiple times.
The day of the alleged attempt, a Secret Service agent conducting a security sweep “spotted the partially obscured face of a man in the brush along the fence line” near the sixth hole’s green. Upon seeing a rifle barrel aimed at him, the agent fired, causing Routh to flee.
Trump, just a few hundred yards away, was immediately removed from the course.
When apprehended 45 minutes later, Routh possessed a handwritten list of Trump’s past and future appearances. A search of his vehicle yielded six cellphones, one containing a Google search on how to travel from Palm Beach County to Mexico.
Investigators also uncovered an SKS semiautomatic rifle with an obliterated serial number, a scope, and an extended magazine containing 11 rounds. Body armor plates capable of stopping small arms fire were found in a backpack and shopping bag at the scene.
Routh’s motives appear to be politically charged.
A notebook in his car contained “dozens of pages filled with names and phone numbers pertaining to Ukraine, discussions about how to join combat on behalf of Ukraine, and notes criticizing the governments of China and Russia.” Additionally, Routh authored a book in February 2023 titled “Ukraine’s Unwinnable War,” which criticized Trump’s foreign policy.
In the book, Routh also wrote that Iran was “free to assassinate Trump” for leaving the Obama nuclear deal.
Trump has responded to the incident with anger, accusing the Department of Justice of “mishandling and downplaying the second assassination attempt on my life since July.”
He called the current charges against Routh “a slap on the wrist” and suggested there could be a conflict of interest within the DOJ and FBI.
Currently, Routh faces two weapon-related charges due to his status as a convicted felon, stemming from prior convictions in North Carolina. Prosecutors say they plan to seek an indictment for charges related to the attempted assassination.
This incident marks the second alleged assassination attempt on Trump since July, raising serious concerns about the security surrounding his 2024 presidential campaign.