The suspect was allegedly ready to “fight and die” for Kyiv and tried to recruit volunteers to join him.
The man behind the failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump at his Florida golf club has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, according to multiple media reports citing anonymous law enforcement sources. Authorities have not yet officially confirmed the suspect's identity.
The incident occurred Sunday afternoon while the former US president and Republican presidential candidate was playing golf at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. A Secret Service agent apparently spotted a rifle barrel sticking out of the resort's fence and fired several shots at the threat. The suspect fled the scene, leaving behind an AK-style rifle with a scope and a GoPro camera, but was later arrested.
“He didn't show much emotion. He never asked, 'What is this about?'” Martin County Sheriff William Snyder announced this at a press conference.
🚨🇺🇸 BREAKING: PHOTO OF TRUMP ASSASSINATION SUSPECT RELEASEDFox has obtained a photo of Ryan Wesley Routh, the alleged shooter who attempted to assassinate Trump on Sunday. Martin County Sheriff William Snyder has confirmed the authenticity of the image, which was taken during… https://t.co/vlTNrl9iGkpic.twitter.com/FFdvgkdiDz
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 16, 2024
The suspect was reportedly “relatively calm” when authorities detained him. Fox News obtained a photo of the suspect minutes after the arrest, while New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz shared another photo of the suspect being pulled from a car.
While the man's identity and motive have not yet been officially confirmed by authorities, law enforcement sources told the AP, CNN and Fox News that the man in custody was named Ryan Wesley Routh.
A man with that name was apparently a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its conflict with Moscow, according to American media and internet users who analyzed his social media accounts before they were deleted.
Rouse's social media profiles were filled with posts highlighting him “self-proclaimed participation” in the Ukrainian conflict and attempts to recruit soldiers to fight Russia, according to CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller.
Raut has repeatedly expressed ardent support for Kyiv in dozens of often meaningless posts in 2022, declaring that he is ready to fight and die for Ukraine and that “We need to burn the Kremlin to the ground” according to CNN.
“I would like to buy a rocket from you,” he wrote in a message to Elon Musk, NYPost reports. “I want to load it with a warhead to finish off Putin in his Black Sea mansion.”
Raut spent several months in Kyiv in 2022 and said The New York Times about his efforts to recruit former Afghan soldiers to fight in Ukraine. He also spoke to Newsweek about his attempts to recruit volunteers for the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine.
According to the New York Post, Routt has frequently criticized politicians, including Trump and current President Joe Biden, as well as “he flaunted his virtues while simultaneously defending the interests of the left.”
Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said if the suspect's identity is confirmed, it would be clear that he “obsessed with the US-funded war in Ukraine.”
We don’t know much yet, but given the personal and public involvement of Trump’s alleged shooter in the war in Ukraine, it’s hard to imagine White House agencies claiming zero contact — “clean hands.” Kind of like Oswald. Congress needs answers. pic.twitter.com/lDD1TLsLVf
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) September 15, 2024
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has cast doubt on whether the US intelligence agencies had any “contact” with the shooter who attempted to kill him, pointing out his alleged ties to Ukraine and active support for Kyiv.
“We don't know much yet, but given the personal and public involvement of Trump's alleged shooter in the Ukraine war, it's hard to imagine White House agencies claiming zero contact — 'clean hands.' Something like Oswald here. Congress needs answers,” Snowden wrote on X.
Trump has REPEATEDLY said he would end the war in Ukraine. The man who tried to kill him today is named Ryan Wesley Routh. People are posting these photos. Is this the would-be assassin? If so, he is obsessed with the US-funded war in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/DsXwnyelAY
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) September 15, 2024
Meanwhile, Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. has named the alleged shooter “psychopath” who probably “spends a lot of time watching leftist propaganda.”
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