Trump Suspect to Appear in Court on Attempted Assassination Charge, According to Reuters

By Andrew Goudsward

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida – A man charged with attempting to assassinate Donald Trump by allegedly positioning himself with a rifle outside one of the former president’s Florida golf courses is scheduled to appear in court on Monday to enter a plea to five federal charges.

Ryan Routh, 58, is anticipated to plead not guilty to charges that include the attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate. He has been ordered to remain in jail while awaiting trial.

Prosecutors assert that Routh intended to kill Trump as he was golfing at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on September 15. According to authorities, Routh, a struggling roofing contractor, had condemned the Republican presidential candidate in a self-published book and had left a letter months prior with an associate that referenced an attempted assassination on Trump.

In a court filing, prosecutors revealed that Routh wrote, "This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you."

At a court hearing on September 23, Routh’s lawyers suggested that the letter may have been an attempt to gain publicity and emphasized Routh’s alleged efforts to promote democracy in Ukraine and Taiwan.

Routh was discovered hiding outside a fence overlooking the sixth hole of the golf course, where authorities found an AK-47-style rifle, a bag of snacks, a digital camera, and bags containing metal plates designed to withstand return fire from U.S. Secret Service agents.

A Secret Service agent patrolling the course noticed Routh and opened fire upon seeing the rifle protruding from the fence. Routh fled the scene and was later apprehended along a highway in Florida.

Initially charged with gun-related offenses, Routh faced additional charges last week, including attempted assassination, assault on a federal officer, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.

This incident marks the second apparent assassination attempt on Trump within a two-month period, raising concerns about the security of the candidate in the lead-up to the November 5 election. On July 13, a gunman wounded Trump’s right ear and fatally shot an attendee at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, before being killed by a Secret Service sniper.

Trump has sought to leverage the assassination attempts into a campaign issue, questioning the Justice Department’s credibility in handling the investigation, particularly in light of previous criminal charges against him.