Suspected Trump Shooter Charged In Florida Federal Court Following Attempted Trump Assassination At Golf Course

On Monday, the attempted assassin of 45th President Donald Trump, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, appeared in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, to hear the charges against him after he was apprehended by authorities about 50 miles away from the Trump International Golf Course after Secret Service agents opened fire on his location.

According to POLITICO, a criminal complaint showed Routh's charges included possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. While the initial criminal complaint did not include other charges, the FBI explained Sunday that they are treating the event as an attempted assassination of a former president. The gun charges are a necessity to keep Routh, who appeared in shackles and a blue jumpsuit, detained as the bureau and Secret Service continue their investigation. Routh will appear in court again on September 23 for a bond hearing.

During a round of golf on Sunday, President Trump was tackled by the Secret Service after Routh was able to get within a few hundred yards of President Trump's location with an AK-14, a GoPro camera, and two backpacks. The would-be assassin was confronted by the Secret Service when one of the agents who was scouting the golf course saw the barrel of the weapon pointing out of a chain-link fence. Routh fled the scene after agents opened fire about 300 to 500 yards away from Trump. A witness photographed Routh's black Nissan license plate as he fled. The suspect was apprehended by authorities about 50 miles away, traveling north on I-95. According to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, the witness who saw Routh escape from the bushes later identified him.

After authorities identified the gunman, Routh's personal story became the subject of much scrutiny in an attempt to ascertain his motive. The North Carolina man has a decades-long criminal history that goes back to the 1990s and includes being charged with possession of a weapon of mass destruction in 2002. The 58-year-old has also previously been charged with a hit-and-run offense, resisting arrest, and a concealed weapons violation, according to CBS News.

While authorities have not revealed Routh's motive for targeting Trump, a look at his social media paints a clear picture of his potential motivations. Across multiple platforms, Routh has been critical of Trump both during his presidency and his presidential campaign. "@realDonaldTrump While you were my choice in 2106, 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," Routh wrote on Twitter in June 2020. "I will be glad when you gone."

The man also has a long history of supporting Ukraine, even traveling to the country in 2022 to try to fight in the war. After being rejected by the Ukrainian armed forces given his age, Routh, who was interviewed by The New York Times and Semafor in 2023, worked on getting more foreign fighters involved in the war effort. "My initial goal was to come fight … but I'm 56, so initially they were like, I have no military experience, so they were like, you're not an ideal candidate," he explained to Newsweek Romania in 2022. "So they said, not right this minute. So plan B was to come here to Kyiv and promote getting more people here."

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