Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has called for an attempted murder charge against Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
Former President Donald Trump was the target of an assassination attempt on Sunday at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. The suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, was arrested after authorities spotted a gun poking out of the shrubbery on the golf course.
Routh allegedly camped outside the golf course with food and a rifle for nearly 12 hours, phone records revealed. He did not fire any shots, never had Trump in his line of sight, and sped away after an agent who spotted him fired in his direction. He was arrested in a neighboring county.
DeSantis Calls for Life Sentence for Trump Assassination Suspect
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has said he would like to see an attempted murder charge brought against Routh, which he noted carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
"I think this is an offense that should merit life in prison, and if we are not going to go to the fullest extent of the law, you are lowering the threshold into what someone in the future may try to do something like this," DeSantis said during a Tuesday morning press conference in West Palm Beach.
DeSantis Calls for Life Sentence for Trump Assassination Suspect
DeSantis has assigned Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to investigate the assassination attempt. He said Florida's Office of Statewide Prosecution may have a stronger case than the federal government.
"In my judgment, it is not in the best interest of our state or of our nation to have the same federal agencies that are seeking to prosecute Donald Trump leading this investigation, especially when the most serious, straightforward offense constitutes a violation of state law, not federal law," DeSantis said at the news conference.
DeSantis Calls for Life Sentence for Trump Assassination Suspect
Florida is conducting an independent investigation into the incident while federal authorities pursue their own.
"In addition to holding the suspect accountable, the public deserves to know the truth about how this assassination attempt came to be," DeSantis said.
DeSantis Calls for Life Sentence for Trump Assassination Suspect
Trump has blamed the assassination attempt on the "rhetoric" of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. He said he will "save the country" from the current administration.
The Secret Service has said it did not scope out the golf course because it was an "off the record" movement.
Routh's attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.
