WEST PALM BEACH, FL— A suspect has been identified in connection with an alleged assassination attempt targeting former President Donald Trump at his Florida golf club.
Authorities say Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, pointed a rifle with a scope in the direction of Trump as the former president played golf at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.
Law enforcement officials confirmed Routh’s identity Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing investigation. The suspect was reportedly hiding in shrubbery approximately 400 to 500 yards from Trump at the time of the incident.
Records indicate that Routh previously lived in North Carolina before moving to Hawaii in 2018, where he operated a shed-building business. He has had several run-ins with law enforcement, including a 2002 conviction in North Carolina for possessing a weapon of mass destruction.
Routh has a history of political activism, previously supporting Trump and even urging the former president to address police misconduct. However, recent social media posts suggest Routh had grown disillusioned with Trump, expressing support for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
In July, following an assassination attempt on Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, Routh encouraged Biden and Harris to visit those wounded in the incident. Voter records show that Routh registered as an unaffiliated voter in North Carolina and recently voted in the Democratic primary.
Routh remains in custody as authorities continue their investigation into the apparent assassination plot.
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