Fresh insights about Ryan Wesley Routh have been disclosed.
Before his actions at a Trump-owned golf club led to international attention, Ryan Wesley Routh was causing a commotion in Ukraine. Various news outlets spoke with the American, who later seemed to be involved in attacking the Republican presidential candidate. They painted a chilling picture.
The individual believed to have orchestrated a plot against Donald Trump in Florida attended his initial court hearing. Reporters from AP observed that two charges were brought against Ryan Wesley Routh during the eight-minute hearing: possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and having a firearm with a removed serial number. The first charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, and the second carries a five-year sentence.
A decision on bail will be made at a later hearing on September 23. An indictment could be presented on September 30, if the prosecution formalizes these charges by then.
During the hearing, the suspect claimed to be earning about $3,000 a month and having no savings. He also stated that he owned no properties or other valuable assets, except for two cars located in Hawaii. Routh mentioned his 25-year-old son, whom he financially supported, and entered the courtroom dressed in a blue jumpsuit, handcuffed and shackled at both feet.
Article Content: Kill Trump
His reason for doing so remains unknown, as reported by AP. The news agency revealed that Routh self-published a book in the previous year, in which he disclosed that he had once voted for Trump, feeling partly responsible for him becoming president. He described Trump as "the simple-minded individual we elected as our next president." The book was titled "The Unwinnable War of Ukraine."
In his book, the suspect urged Iran to assassinate the ex-president: "You can eliminate Trump." Routh described Trump as an idiot due to his involvement in the January 6, 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol building and his withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Routh reportedly posted on the X online service, "I am prepared to travel to Krakow and head towards the Ukrainian border to volunteer and die." A few weeks later, the AFP news agency interviewed the man in Kyiv, where he participated in a rally backing the Ukrainian soldiers under siege in Mariupol. "Putin is a terrorist who needs to be stopped. Everyone worldwide who can curb what he's doing should come here right now," he said at the time.
AP also filmed Routh at a Kyiv rally in April 2022. A sign he held read, "We can no longer tolerate corruption and evil for another 50 years. Stop Russia, for the sake of our children."
A "Tagesspiegel" reporter maintained that he spoke with Routh in Kyiv in May 2022. Routh wanted to join the Ukrainian army in its defensive war, but was declined. During their conversation, he stood out with baseless theories and seemed like an unstable extremist, criticizing the Ukrainian army for being too cautious. He allegedly said, "We must eliminate Moscow before Putin eliminates Kyiv." He himself was ready to fire.
Whether his statements provide insight into his motivation remains unclear, as investigations continue. Yet, it's clear that Routh's views starkly contrasted Trump's. The right-wing populist often praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and strongly opposed the billions in aid provided by the US to Kyiv.
If Trump were to secure victory again, it's expected that the US, the main financial backer of Kyiv, would withdraw support. A prompt end to the war likely means Trump forcing Ukraine to surrender a substantial portion allowed by Russia.
Ukrainian military calls R. "insane"
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military stated that the detained Routh had never served in the Ukrainian armed forces and no cooperation had occurred, according to Oleksandr Shakhuri, a representative of the department for coordinating foreigners in the ground forces. However, Routh had frequently reached out to the International Legion over the past two and a half years, expressing "ridiculous ideas." His plans can best be described as unfathomable, Shakhuri told AP.
The International Legion of Ukraine was established by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky almost immediately after the start of the war. It consists of foreign citizens who joined the resistance against the Russian invaders and wanted to fight for global security, as explained by the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Routh expressed his desire to travel to Krakow and join the fight against the Ukrainian border. Despite this, the Ukrainian military stated that Routh had not served in their armed forces and his ideas were considered "ridiculous" and "unfathomable" by Oleksandr Shakhuri.
In addition to this, various news outlets reported that Ryan Wesley Routh was involved in attacks on a Republican presidential candidate, resulting in two charges being brought against him: possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and having a firearm with a removed serial number.
