Suspect Linked to Alleged Trump Assassination Plot Wrote Pre-Planning Note Months in Advance, Court Filing Reveals
A man arrested near Donald Trump’s Florida golf course is now facing allegations of plotting to assassinate the former president. According to a court filing, Ryan Routh, 58, wrote a note months before his arrest, outlining his intention to kill Trump.
“This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump,” the note reportedly read. Prosecutors introduced the letter in court, where they plan to charge Routh with the attempted assassination of a political figure.
Routh has been held in custody since his arrest on September 15 in West Palm Beach, Florida. U.S. Federal Judge Ryon McCabe ordered he remain behind bars without bail, citing the “strong weight of evidence” against him. Initially charged with two federal firearm offenses, including possession of a gun as a convicted felon, prosecutors are pushing to add charges of attempted assassination.
The pre-written letter, addressed “To the World” and sent to an unnamed witness months earlier, appears to reference a failed attempt on Trump’s life. “I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster,” Routh wrote, adding that he would reward anyone who could “finish the job.”
Court filings reveal that a box containing this letter, along with ammunition, building materials, tools, and four phones, was delivered to the witness’s home before the incident. After learning of the alleged assassination attempt, the witness opened the box and contacted authorities.
On the day of his arrest, a Secret Service agent reportedly spotted Routh hiding in foliage near the sixth hole of Trump’s golf course. The agent noticed a rifle before drawing his gun and firing when Routh allegedly moved the weapon. However, Routh never fired his own gun and fled the scene, leaving behind the rifle and other belongings. He was later captured after being spotted on Interstate 95.
Court documents also reveal that investigators discovered a handwritten list in Routh’s vehicle, detailing dates of Trump’s public appearances between August and October. Phone records show Routh was near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort for nearly a month, from August 18 to September 15.
Routh, originally from North Carolina but recently living in Hawaii, has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple charges for stolen goods between 1997 and 2010. In 2022, he traveled to Ukraine in a failed attempt to recruit foreign soldiers to fight for Ukraine’s military. His ideas were dismissed by one Ukrainian soldier as “nonsensical” and “delusional.”
Prosecutors argue that Routh is both a flight risk and a danger to the community, urging the court to keep him in custody pending trial. His arraignment is scheduled for September 30, when he will enter a plea.
