Ryan Wesley Routh, a 58-year-old pro-Ukraine activist, has been identified as the suspect in the alleged assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Routh was arrested after allegedly pushing the muzzle of an assault rifle through a chain-link fence near Trump's golf course, where the former president was playing the fifth hole.
Law enforcement sources have identified Ryan Wesley Routh as the suspect in an apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Routh, 58, was arrested Sunday after allegedly pushing the muzzle of an assault rifle through a chain-link fence near Trump's golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, where the former president was playing the fifth hole.
This is not the first time Routh has had brushes with the law. A background check reviewed by Fox News Digital found that he has had repeated run-ins with law enforcement spanning decades in North Carolina, mostly for minor offenses such as simple possession, driving without a license, driving with an expired registration, and driving without insurance.
Ryan Wesley Routh Identified as Suspect in Trump Shooting
Routh is a pro-Ukraine activist who has spent time in the Eastern European country volunteering to raise support for the nation's military efforts. He has also sought out Afghan veterans who fled from the Taliban to fight in the war.
In March 2023, Routh expressed frustration at the Ukranian government for having too much red tape around admitting foreign soldiers to fight in the war. "Ukraine is very often hard to work with. Many foreign soldiers leave after a week in Ukraine or must move from unit to unit to find a place they are respected and appreciated," Routh told Semafor, adding that he'd been "yelled at" for suggesting Afghan veterans.
Ryan Wesley Routh Identified as Suspect in Trump Shooting
Routh has also spoken to Newsweek's Romania edition in 2022 about his recruitment efforts for the International Legion Defense of Ukraine. "The question as far as why I'm here … to me, a lot of the other conflicts are grey, but this conflict is definitely black and white," Routh told Newsweek. "This is about good versus evil. This is a storybook, you know, any movie we've ever watched, this is definitely evil against good."
Routh reportedly bragged about his involvement in the war on his social media accounts. His pro-Ukraine advocacy also appears to have led him to write a 291-page book, "Ukraine's Unwinnable War," which is still available on Amazon. In the book's description, Routh argues that Ukraine must win the war and outlines what needs to be done to achieve victory.
Ryan Wesley Routh Identified as Suspect in Trump Shooting
An account on the X platform, which appears to belong to Routh, repeatedly issued Ukraine-related posts, including expressions of readiness to fly to the country to fight against Russian President Vladimir Putin. The account also posted that Routh was in Kyiv in April 2022.
Trump has previously stated that if elected, he would end the Ukraine-Russia conflict within 24 hours. During a presidential debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump did not explicitly say that Ukraine should triumph in the war, but rather urged for negotiations to resolve the conflict.
Ryan Wesley Routh Identified as Suspect in Trump Shooting
