Few details emerge in the week following latest assassination attempt

Unlike the assassination attempt of former President Trump in Butler Pennsylvania in July, authorities have released very few details on the assassination attempt against President Trump this past Sunday in West Palm Beach Florida. 

What we know

On Sunday, Sept. 15, shortly after 1 a.m., Ryan Routh, 58, of Hawaii armed himself with an SKS “AK-47” styled rifle and secreted himself in the bushes that bordered the fence line surrounding President Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach. Cell phone data allegedly shows that Routh remained in the area for approximately 12 hours until he was spotted by a Secret Service agent who was conducting a security sweep of the area ahead of President Trump who was playing golf on the course. Reports indicate that the round of golf had not been on the President’s schedule, and that a protection plan was put together on the fly when the President decided to add a round of golf to his schedule.

The agent who spotted Routh recognized what he believed was a rifle pointed through the fence, and the agent engaged Routh by firing at least four rounds at him. Routh never fired a shot, and was able to escape without injury, leaving behind the rifle which had its serial number removed, his cell phone, ballistic panels, and a backpack — all of which has been tied to Routh.

Routh reportedly fled to a Nissan SUV parked nearby and a citizen snapped a photo of the SUV as Routh fled the area. The SUV had a license plate on it that is said to have come from a Ford Pick up which had been recently stolen. Local law enforcement located and arrested Routh about 50 mins later as he fled north on the freeway.

The FBI took over the investigation and quickly labeled it an apparent attempted assassination of President Trump. On Monday, federal charges were filed against Routh for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Possessing a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number. If convicted of both crimes, Routh faces 20 years in prison. Routh’s next court appearance in scheduled for Monday, September 23, during which additional charges related to the attempted assassination are expected to be added.

What we’ve learned this week

Media sources have reported what they have learned about Routh’s history, including what he disclosed at his first court appearance. 

  • Routh allegedly makes about $3,000 per month at his small construction business in Hawaii.
  • Routh’s social media accounts, before being locked following the assassination attempt, point to a man who became obsessed with various topics — most recently the war in Ukraine. That obsession led Routh to travel to Kyiv in 2022 and unsuccessfully attempt to join with Ukrainian forces to fight against Russia.
  • Routh has donated to Act Blue about 20 times. Act Blue is a progressive social action group that supports initiatives aligned with the Democrat Party.
  • Routh had voted for Trump in 2016 but had soured against Trump. He most recently voted Democrat during the 2024 primary vote. 
  • Routh has had hundreds of encounters with law enforcement over the past several decades, mainly in the Greensboro North Carolina area where he grew up and lived until 2018. 
  • Routh has a 2002 felony conviction for possessing a “Weapon of Mass Destruction” which has since been described as a small explosive charge, and a 2010 felony conviction for possessing stolen goods.
  • Routh wrote a book in 2023 entitled “Ukraine’s Unwinnable War” in which he encouraged Iran to assassinate President Trump.
  • Congressional leaders confirmed that following the July assassination attempt, the Secret Service had increased the level of protection for Trump commensurate to that of a sitting President. 

Important questions yet to be answered

  • How long has Routh been in the West Palm Beach area, and was anyone aware of his location and intention?
  • Where was Routh staying and with whom?
  • How and from whom did Routh obtain the SKS rifle?
  • How did Routh afford his travels, the rifle, and the vehicle used, given his meager income?
  • How and from whom did Routh obtain the Nissan SUV and the stolen Ford pickup license plate?
  • Given the golf round was not on President Trump’s schedule, was Routh’s appearance at the course a complete act of chance? Had Routh laid in wait, or made other attempts on other occasions?
  • What additional charges will be filed against Routh, and will others be implicated in a plot to assassinate Trump?
  • How will Governor DeSantis’s executive order instructing the Florida Attorney General to conduct a parallel investigation into the assassination attempt — focusing on state charges of attempted murder — play out? Federal statute 351 does authorize the U.S. Attorney to charge out the attempted murder of a major Presidential or Vice-Presidential candidate.