The suspect in Sunday’s attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump was charged with two gun-related crimes.
Ryan Wesley Routh was arrested for allegedly attempting to assassinate Trump with a rifle during the former president’s round at his West Palm Beach golf course. On Monday, Routh was charged at a federal court hearing in West Palm Beach, Florida, with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, according to Fox News.
Secret Service noticed the muzzle of a rifle peaking through a bush roughly 400 yards away from Trump at the golf course. Routh, who was a few holes ahead of Trump, allegedly fled the scene after agents engaged fire. A witness reported the license plate of the suspected gunman’s getaway car, which led to his subsequent arrest.
Routh smiled and laughed on several occasions as he talked to his attorney in the courtroom, according to Fox News. He engaged with all questions during the 10-minute hearing and will be formally arraigned on September 30.
Fox News reported additional federal charges may be brought against Routh. The two charges filed on Monday will allow officials to keep him in custody.
Routh made 19 small political donations totaling $140 to Democrats over the last five years. His X account and previous media interviews revealed extensive advocacy for Ukraine. He claimed he traveled to Ukraine to recruit soldiers internationally to fight against Russia.
“DEMOCRACY is on the ballot and we cannot lose,” he tweeted in April in support of President Joe Biden.
His X account was suspended on Sunday.
Routh, in his 2023 self-published book, wrote that Iran is “free to assassinate Trump,” the Associated Press reported. He expressed regret in his book about voting in 2016 for Trump, who he described as a “fool,” “buffoon,” and “child that we elected for our next president that ended up being brainless.”
Oleksandr Shahuri of the Foreigners Coordination Department of the Ukrainian Ground Forces Command told the AP that Routh never served for or worked with the Ukrainian military.
Routh’s two charges carry maximum sentences of 15 years and five years in prison, with a $250,000 fine for each. He told the judge he could not afford an attorney, as he makes $3,000 a month and has no savings or real estate.
Routh’s current address is in Hawaii, but he lived most of his life in North Carolina, according to CBS. His extensive criminal record includes a felony charge for possession of a weapon of mass destruction. Misdemeanor charges include a hit-and-run offense, resisting arrest, and a concealed weapons violation.
Trump survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania in July when the would-be assassin’s bullet grazed his ear, as The Dallas Express reported.
