US Media Reveals Suspect in Latest Trump Assassination Attempt

U.S. media have identified Ryan Wesley Routh, whom AFP interviewed in Kyiv in 2022, as the suspect in an alleged assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Routh, 58, was reportedly arrested after U.S. Secret Service agents fired on a man carrying an AK-47-style rifle near Trump’s Florida golf course, where the former president was golfing on Sunday.

According to reports, Routh emerged from the shrubbery where he had been hiding and fled the scene in a black car before authorities apprehended him. Media outlets such as CNN and CBS described Routh as a self-employed affordable housing builder in Hawaii, with a criminal record spanning several decades. His online posts included political commentary, some of which were critical of Trump, the current Republican presidential candidate.

One of Routh’s causes was supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion. In a March 2022 post on X (formerly Twitter), Routh expressed his willingness to volunteer and fight in Ukraine, stating, “I AM WILLING TO FLY TO KRAKOW AND GO TO THE BORDER OF UKRAINE TO VOLUNTEER AND FIGHT AND DIE… Can I be the example We must win.” The New York Times, which also interviewed him, cited this post.

AFP had interviewed Routh in Kyiv in April 2022 while he participated in a demonstration supporting Ukrainians trapped in Mariupol. He was quoted as saying, “Putin is a terrorist, and he needs to be ended, so we need everybody from around the world to stop what they are doing and come here now.”

The U.S. has been a strong supporter of Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022. As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, current President Joe Biden is set to be replaced by either his Vice President Kamala Harris, who plans to continue backing Ukraine, or by Trump, who avoided stating during a recent debate whether he supported Ukraine’s victory in the war.