A 58-year-old man, Ryan W Routh, has been charged with two gun-related crimes in federal court after being spotted with a rifle near former President Donald Trump’s golf course in Florida. Court documents suggest he may have been lying in wait with the rifle for nearly 12 hours, but never had Trump in his line of sight. The FBI is investigating the incident as an assassination attempt, although Routh did not fire any shots.
This is the second assassination attempt in two months on Trump, who is set to unveil a new cryptocurrency business at his private club in Florida and resume his presidential campaign. Following the incident, questions have been raised about the security surrounding Trump, especially after the Secret Service failed to prevent a previous attack in July.
Routh has prior felony convictions and the FBI is analyzing his social media posts for clues about his motive. He has shown support for Ukraine and has allegedly traveled there to recruit foreign fighters. Ukrainian officials and a group where foreign fighters serve have distanced themselves from Routh.
Both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have condemned political violence following the incident and are ensuring the Secret Service has the necessary resources to protect Trump. Trump himself has praised law enforcement for keeping him safe and criticized Democrats for using “highly inflammatory language.” The suspect’s connections to Ukraine and his apparent political views are being scrutinized in the ongoing investigation.
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