The Department of Justice is endeavoring to construct a case of attempted homicide against the individual implicated in the incident involving Trump at his golf course.
In the ongoing probe, investigators are pondering the possibility of a foreign involvement, such as potential connections to Iran's continuing threats against the ex-president or Ryan Wesley Routh's prior travels abroad, sources confided in CNN. To this point, there's no evidence suggesting that the suspect was inspired or instructed by foreign entities to target the ex-president.
Since being apprehended on Sunday, Routh has refused to collaborate with the FBI. He currently faces charges solely related to firearms.
Despite this, law enforcement officials and prosecutors have indicated their belief that the incident was an attempt on the ex-president's life, and they are diligently amassing evidence to back up additional charges.
However, complications arise due to the US Secret Service's statement that Routh did not have a clear line of sight to the ex-president from his position at the golf club's perimeter, and he didn't fire a shot before being engaged by a Secret Service agent and fleeing the scene. This necessitates the use of alternative evidence to establish Routh's intentions for the day.
Palm Beach County State Attorney David Aronberg explained that federal investigators require concrete evidence proving Routh intended to target the ex-president and took substantive steps towards that goal to bring the most severe charges against him.
On Monday, Routh is slated for a detention hearing, during which prosecutors will argue for his continued incarceration ahead of trial. He has yet to enter a plea, and prosecutors retain the right to file additional charges at any given moment.
Search for witnesses and foreign links
Federal investigators are continuing their examination of Routh's digital devices and other electronics, as well as interviewing potential witnesses. The hope is that this will provide more clarity regarding Routh's intentions and motive.
Investigators have contacted Routh's family and friends from various locations, including North Carolina and Hawaii. They even searched a property in Hawaii where Routh had previously resided.
The FBI continues to explore the possibility of a foreign connection, given the myriad threats against the ex-president that have originated overseas and details related to Routh's travels abroad, such as Ukraine.
Chelsea Walsh, who reported Routh's behavior to federal authorities after meeting him in Kyiv while working as a nurse and finding it disquieting, contacted CNN following the attempted assassination early this week. She revealed that she then followed up with the FBI, though she declined to provide details on their conversation.
Routh was held by Customs and Border Patrol upon his return to the US from Ukraine and subsequently referred to Homeland Security Investigations. HSI Executive Associate Director Katrina Berger informed lawmakers on Capitol Hill that she believes there would have been no reason to detain Routh immediately upon his return.
"Based on the information I read, there would not have been any reason to immediately take him into custody. He had not made any threats, for instance, against the president or former president Trump," Berger said.
She added that the fact that Routh was not immediately detained did not mean that they were not subject to further investigation.
Concerns regarding a potential foreign connection stem, in part, from intelligence suggesting Iranian plans to assassinate the ex-president. Prior to and following a gunman firing at the ex-president's July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, these concerns have raised questions about the ex-president's security.
As of now, investigators have not unearthed any evidence linking Iran or any other foreign government to the suspect arrested on Sunday or the gunman who attempted to assassinate the ex-president at the Pennsylvania rally.
However, the Iranian threat remains a significant concern for US officials and has prompted the FBI to thoroughly investigate the possibility of a foreign connection in both scenarios.
Routh's social media history
Investigators are looking to Routh's social media history to gain a more comprehensive understanding of his intentions and motives.
Online posts reveal Routh's animosity towards the ex-president, which became central to a disjointed and fanciful worldview that fixated on Ukraine, Taiwan, North Korea, and the supposed "end of humanity."
In June 2020, Routh claimed to have voted for the ex-president in 2016, but subsequently withdrew his support.
"I and the world hoped that president Trump would be different and better than the candidate, but we all were greatly disappointed and it seems you are getting worse and devolving," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "I will be glad when you're gone."
Routh also mentioned the ex-president in his book, titled "Ukraine's Unwinnable War: The Fatal Flaw of Democracy, World Abandonment and the Global Citizen-Taiwan, Afghanistan, North Korea and the end of Humanity."
In the book, he criticized the ex-president's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, deeming it a "tremendous blunder" that pushed Tehran closer to Russia and enabled Russia to supply drones causing destruction in Ukraine.
Routh also suggested in the book that Iran was "free to assassinate Trump."
These posts alone appear insufficient to charge Routh with attempting to assassinate the ex-president, according to Aronberg.
authorities additionally have the ability to level additional accusations towards Routh, such as severe assault with a weapon against a federal peacekeeper officer.
In light of the numerous threats against the ex-president originating from foreign sources, federal investigators are thoroughly exploring the possibility of a foreign connection in Ryan Wesley Routh's case, including his travels to places like Ukraine.
Chelsea Walsh, a nurse who reported Routh's disturbing behavior in Kyiv, has contacted authorities following the attempted assassination, indicating that she had later followed up with the FBI.
