CNN cited three law enforcement sources as saying that Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, the owner of a small construction company, was arrested on suspicion of involvement in an assassination plot against former President Donald Trump in Florida on September 15.
CNN points out notable points about the suspect.
Trump critic: Routh, a frequent Trump critic on social media, posted on X about the former president's assassination in July, encouraging President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to visit the injured. "Trump would never do anything," Routh wrote.
North Carolina ties: Routh registered as an “unaffiliated” voter in the state in 2012. According to public records, he also voted in the North Carolina Democratic primary in March of this year.
Law violations: Routh was arrested in 2002 after being stopped by police and allegedly placing his hand on a gun before barricading himself in a business. He has also been ordered to pay tens of thousands of dollars to plaintiffs in civil lawsuits and has been cited by state and federal authorities multiple times for failing to pay his taxes on time.
Silence during arrest: Routh remained silent during his arrest, according to local attorney David Aronberg. It appears he has done this before, not just this time, but in many other run-ins with law enforcement.
Support for Ukraine: Routh expressed support for Ukraine in dozens of posts on X in 2022, saying he was willing to die in the war. He also visited Ukraine. In a video filmed by AFP in Kiev in 2022, Routh urged people to come and fight for Ukraine. Routh also tried to recruit Afghan conscripts to fight for Kiev, presenting himself as an unofficial liaison officer for the Ukrainian government.
Views on global politics: In a self-published book, Routh opined on the political situations in Afghanistan, Taiwan (China), and North Korea. He went on to detail his support for Ukraine and said he tried to join the army but was turned away at the Polish-Ukrainian border.
Building affordable housing: Routh said on his LinkedIn page that he founded a company in 2018 called Camp Box Honolulu in Hawaii that builds affordable housing. A story in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser said he donated one structure to the homeless.
Son speaks out: Oran Routh, the suspect's son, said he hopes things "just blew out of proportion" and that his father "didn't do anything crazy, much less violent." Oran called Routh "a loving, caring father and an honest, hard-working man."
The second assassination attempt occurred on September 15 while Donald Trump was playing golf at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. The former president was safe and uninjured.
Earlier, in the failed assassination attempt on July 13, Mr. Trump's ear was injured by a bullet while he was speaking at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The suspect was killed by a US Secret Service sniper.
