The the man was taken into custody the following one alleged assassination attempt Donald Trump Three times he was a vocal supporter of the former president before being deeply disappointed by the GOP nominee. Here’s what’s known about Monday’s suspected and foiled attack.
Follow live updates on the alleged assassination attempt on Trump.
When and where did it happen?
According to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, the former president was playing golf near his Mar-a-Lago home shortly before 2 p.m. Sunday when a Secret Service agent spotted the rifle in the bushes on the side of the course.
Secret Service agents fired at the man, and it was not immediately known if the suspect returned fire before fleeing in a black Nissan.
Authorities say Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was pulled over on Interstate 95 by the Martin County Sheriff’s Traffic Unit and taken into custody without incident.
What weapons were involved?
An AK-47-style rifle was found at the scene near a fence near the golf course, and the rifle was accompanied by two backpacks and a GoPro camera, Bradshaw said.
What was his connection with Ukraine?
Routh has been very open about his support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion, saying he traveled to the Eastern European country to see the war zone firsthand.
However, the extent of his work on behalf of Kyiv was not clear.
in an interview with Newsweek Romania 2022He said he volunteered to fight for Routh International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine but was rejected due to his age and lack of previous combat experience.
Instead, Routh claimed, he preferred to help with military recruitment efforts in Kiev. A representative of the International Legion told NBC News on Monday that Rout never served in the combat force.
Did he support or oppose Trump?
In 2020, Routh said he supported candidate Trump in the past, but was disappointed with Trump’s presidency.
He tweeted at Trump on June 10th of that year: “When I was my choice in 2106, I and the world hoped that President Trump would be different and better than the candidate, but we are all very disappointed and it seems you are only getting worse. and devolving… I will be glad when you leave.
The suspect appeared to be fully behind then-Democrat Tulsi Gabbard and her bid for the 2020 presidential bid, which Joe Biden eventually won.
Later, he was outraged by what he perceived as Gabbard’s alignment with Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, writing in X in 2022: “Why don’t you go join Putin and join Trump and not be their third wheel.”
There was no immediate evidence in Routh’s social media posts that he was ever a supporter of Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris.
He wrote on March 4, 2020, as he threw his 2020 Democratic presidential endorsement behind Vermont independent Bernie Sanders, mocking a “sleepy Joe” who “stands for nothing; has no plans, no ideas, just like lame Hillary.”
Does he have a criminal record?
The records show more 100 criminal cases have been opened In North Carolina v. Root. In 2002, court documents show that he was found guilty of possessing a weapon of mass destruction – a machine gun.
In this case, a man named Ryan Root, then 36, He allegedly led authorities on a car chase before pulling into a roofing company in Greensboro, North Carolina. Greensboro News & Record.