Last September, Ryan Wesley Routh waited hours to take a shot at Donald Trump. The man, who reportedly conned his way through Ukraine, stayed with a GoPro and a scoped AK-style rifle for 12 hours at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. This attempt on Trump’s life came weeks after the shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the president dodged a fatal headshot by millimeters. Routh waited in the shrubbery for Trump, and the president got within 300 yards until he was discovered by a Secret Service agent who opened fire, causing Routh to flee. Local police later arrested him.
Routh had a sordid history regarding Ukraine, but new details reveal his intentions, though that was never a mystery. He clearly says he intended to kill Trump, and even went about finding ways to purchase a rocket-propelled grenade launcher for the attack (via RedState):
Ryan Wesley Routh, the man behind the second assassination attempt against President Donald Trump in September 2024, tried to purchase an RPG from an asset he believed to be in Ukraine, a court filing has revealed.
The filing on behalf of the United States government was entered at the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Florida on Monday.
The would-be assassin was allegedly using an encrypted messaging app to correspond with an individual "believed to be a Ukrainian with access to military weapons" a month before being spotted with a rifle at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Routh and the individual spoke about the July assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the then-presidential candidate was shot and wounded. Corey Comperatore, a retired volunteer fire chief, was killed in the assassination attempt as he protected his wife and daughter, while two other men were severely injured.
“I wish," Routh reportedly said of the near murder of the Republican leader.
The suspect also apparently discussed grandiose plans, which appear to suggest he was seeking a weapon of war to shoot down Trump's campaign plane.
"Send me an RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] or stinger, and I will see what we can do," Routh allegedly told the associate. "[Trump] is not good for Ukraine."
‼️‼️Disturbing Details of Ryan Routh's Alleged Plot to Kill Trump:
— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) April 8, 2025
Ryan Routh, who allegedly tried to kill Donald Trump on his golf course in West Palm Beach, attempted to buy a "rocket propelled grenade" from someone he believed to be a "Ukranian with access to the military,"… pic.twitter.com/SFxBfnEcv9
It looks like timing alone also may have helped Trump escape the Florida golf course unscathed last year.
— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) April 8, 2025
Routh allegedly decided to move forward with his assassination plot and lie in wait at the golf course BEFORE receiving a .50 caliber rifle from a contact.
The court… pic.twitter.com/e9QATLqTnp
What a loon. Lock him up.