Ryan Routh, the suspect in a failed assassination attempt against President Donald Trump, tried to purchase a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) or a Stinger missile from Ukraine just weeks before the September 2024 incident, according to a Justice Department filing in the Southern District of Florida, according to a report.
Citing communications from an encrypted messaging app, the filing alleges that Ryan Routh, 58, sought military-grade weapons from someone he believed to be a Ukrainian weapons dealer. Prosecutors claim this is further evidence of Routh’s intent to kill Trump, who was then the Republican nominee for President.
“Trump is not good for Ukraine”
“I need equipment so that Trump cannot get elected,” Routh allegedly told the individual in the messages, according to the Daily Mail, which reported the filing. “Send me an RPG or Stinger and I will see what we can do… Trump is not good for Ukraine.”
Prosecutors say Routh also sent a photo of Trump’s campaign plane to the individual, captioned: “Trump’s plane, he gets on and off daily.”
In another message referencing the July 2024 attempted shooting at Trump, Routh reportedly wrote: “I wish.”
Failed assassination attempt in Florida
Authorities say Routh aimed a rifle at Trump while he was golfing at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on September 14, 2024. However, a Secret Service agent spotted him in the shrubbery before Trump came into view, prompting Routh to flee the scene.
Prosecutors contend that Routh had been planning the assassination for weeks prior to the incident.
Defense challenges eyewitness testimony
Routh’s legal team is currently seeking to suppress what prosecutors describe as the most critical eyewitness testimony in the case.
Routh, a resident of Hawaii, has pleaded not guilty to charges including the attempted assassination of a presidential candidate, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Facing life in prison
If convicted, Routh could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The Justice Department has yet to announce a trial date, and the case remains under high security due to the nature of the charges.
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