Man charged in failed Trump assassination bid at Florida golf course

Routh scouted out Trump locations months in advance with cell phone data placing him near the golf course, residence

WASINGTON:

A man accused of surveilling Donald Trump’s Florida golf course while armed with a rifle was charged on Tuesday with attempted assassination of a political candidate, according to federal prosecutors.

Ryan Routh, 58, had already been facing two firearms-related charges after authorities stated that on 15 September, he pointed a rifle through a fence at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf club, where the Republican presidential candidate was playing golf. Routh has been remanded in custody, awaiting trial.

Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasised the severity of the situation, stating, “The Justice Department will not tolerate violence that threatens the core of our democracy, and we will hold accountable those responsible. This must stop.”

The Department of Justice reported that a federal grand jury in Miami returned the indictment late on Tuesday. The charge of attempted assassination carries a potential life sentence.

The case has been assigned to US District Judge Aileen Cannon, who previously dismissed a criminal case in July accusing Trump of illegally retaining classified documents after leaving office.

Routh has not yet entered a plea, and his legal team’s efforts to secure his release on bond were unsuccessful.

Prosecutors recently presented evidence suggesting Routh had planned to kill Trump. They alleged that months before the incident, Routh had delivered a letter to an unidentified individual, hinting at an “assassination attempt on Donald Trump.”

According to court filings, Routh had spent a month in South Florida, with cell phone data placing him near the golf course and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. He was found in possession of a handwritten list detailing dates and venues where Trump had either spoken or was expected to appear.

Prosecutors stated that a US Secret Service agent had fired a shot after noticing the rifle protruding through the fence during a security sweep of the golf course, prompting Routh to flee. He was apprehended within an hour on a Florida highway.

Routh was initially charged with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.