A man who is already incarcerated on federal charges for attempting to assassinate
Ryan Routh attempted to disrupt the political integrity of the nation and is set to be charged with state attempted first-degree murder and terrorism, according to Attorney General James Uthmeier.
“Aiming to take the life of a former president and a prominent presidential candidate goes beyond a personal attack; it constitutes a political strike against our Republican government and shared American ideals,” Uthmeier remarked.
Kristy Militello, Routh’s lead attorney, has not yet replied to an email requesting a comment.
Prosecutors allege that Routh planned to kill Mr. Trump while Trump was at his golf course in West Palm Beach back in September. Secret Service agents identified Routh before Trump was visible. Routh directed his rifle at one of the agents, who then returned fire, prompting Routh to drop his weapon and flee without discharging it, according to the reports.
Uthmeier, a Republican, condemned the Biden administration, claiming it is attempting to “hinder our efforts” and “obstruct” the investigation led by his office. He commended FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi for their cooperation in seeking justice.
Currently, Routh is facing federal charges that include attempting to assassinate a key presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, assaulting a federal officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
He is scheduled to appear in court on the federal charges in September. The delay between his arrest and the next court appearance was to allow his attorneys sufficient time to review numerous hours of footage from police body cameras and surveillance systems, along with content from Routh’s 17 cell phones and other electronic devices.
On Tuesday, new evidence was presented against Routh, suggesting that he spent over a week in West Palm Beach during March and April 2024 “conducting apparent reconnaissance for his assassination attempt.”
“Routh’s activities are crucial for the jury to comprehend the significance of his conduct on September 15 at Trump International; it indicates his planning and familiarity with the locations he frequented leading up to September 15, including the South Bay region where he camped weeks prior, and Southern Boulevard, the main thoroughfare connecting South Bay to Trump International,” the government expressed in court documents.
The authorities also claimed that Routh attempted to acquire anti-aircraft weaponry to shoot down Mr. Trump’s aircraft.
Following Routh’s arrest, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis indicated that the state would initiate its own investigation and may pursue charges that are not available at the federal level.
If found guilty of the attempted assassination charge, Routh faces a possible life sentence.
