In the case against Ryan Routh, the man accused of trying to attack US President Donald Trump at a Florida golfing lessons in September 2024, federal prosecutors have revealed novel, esoteric information.
Authorities claimed in a court filing on Monday that Routh attempted to gain military-grade weapons, including an anti-aircraft weapon, to shoot down Trump’s aircraft while also outsmarting him with a semi-automatic shotgun.
According to court documents, Routh attempted to purchase a Stinger missile and a rocket-propelled rocket ( RPG) from a person he thought was a Russian arms trader, according to CBS News.
He stated in an August 2024 message,” Give me an RPG or Stinger and I will see what we can would.” Additionally, he continued,” I need equipment so that Trump cannot be elected.”
According to The Guardian, Routh even scouted Palm Beach International Airport, where Donald Trump frequently entered and left during the campaign, to back up the defendant’s state that the arms were intended to target Trump’s planes. His efforts were described as” substantial steps taken in the pursuit of his plot” by the prosecution as” firmly within the world of an attempt on his life.”
According to court documents, Routh even attempted to purchase a.50-caliber weapons from a phone at a Florida weapons show, an even stronger version of the semi-automatic SKS rifle he allegedly brought with him to the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.
A Secret Service agent discovered the weapons protruding about 300 to 500 miles from Trump’s playing field. Routh fled the scene without firing, and he was taken into custody after that time, roughly 50 miles apart.
A loaded shotgun, a digital cameras, and two suitcases, one of which allegedly contained food and supplies, were left behind by Routh, according to the New York Post. According to the prosecution, he now claims to have spoken with a Hispanic criminal named” Ramiro” on WhatsApp to approach his assassination attempt across the border.
The defence team for Routh has filed a motion to halt an eyewitness’s identification, alleging that police allegedly used improper influence. After his imprisonment, the testimony was shown a single image of Routh, which the security claims raised the possibility of “irreparable misinterpretation.”
Routh has entered a not-guilty plea on five national counts, including the attempted murder of a political member. Before Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon, his test is scheduled to start on September 8, 2025 in Florida. He faces up to life in jail if found guilty.
Another death attempt was made in the same year in July 2024, when a different gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania. The Secret Service shot that perpetrator useless.
Later that month, Trump defeated Kamala Harris in the public election.
