Trump apparent assassination suspect identified: Reports

The man accused of pointing an AK-47-style rifle through the fence at Trump International Golf Club, where former President Trump was playing Sunday, has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, multiple media outlets reported.

Routh is reportedly the individual who was spotted by Secret Service agents with a rifle along the golf perimeter in West Palm Beach, Fla.

He is a 58-year-old white male, NewsNation reported, citing a law enforcement source. The Associated Press reported records showed Routh lived in North Carolina for most of his life, and moved to Kaaawa, Hawaii, in 2018. While there, he and his son worked for a company building sheds, the AP added, citing an archived version of the business’s website.

Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg told NewsNation that Routh was not previously on law enforcement’s radar.

Secret Service agents were posted a few holes in front of Trump on the course Sunday afternoon when they noticed a man pushing a rifle’s muzzle through the course perimeter, authorities said during a press briefing. The rifle was sticking through the bushes 300-500 yards away, police said.

A Secret Service agent fired at the suspect, who dropped the firearm and fled in a SUV. Authorities eventually tracked down the man traveling from Palm Beach County into Martin County on I-95 after a witness captured a photograph of the individual’s vehicle, and he was apprehended at the scene, according to police.

Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder told NewsNation the suspect “was not armed when we took him out of the car” and had a calm, flat demeanor. He did not question why he was being pulled over, Snyder added.

About an hour after Secret Service opened fire at the suspect, the Trump campaign issued a statement that the former president was “safe.”

Authorities have yet to determine a motive for the apparent attempt on Trump’s life.

Routh’s apparent social media suggested he is vocal about the war in Ukraine. The New York Times said it interviewed him for a feature on pro-Ukrainian foreign fighters last year. The Times said Routh is originally from Greensboro, N.C., and traveled to Ukraine in 2022 to recruit ex-Afghan soldiers who fled the Taliban to fight for the embattled nation.

The AP reported Routh’s social media posts in recent years suggested he grew more critical of Trump while expressing support for Harris and Biden.

Voter registration records showed Routh registered as unaffiliated in 2012 in North Carolina. He most recently voted in the state this year in the Democratic primary, records showed.

Routh was convicted in 2002 of possessing a weapon of mass destruction, NewsNation reported, citing North Carolina Department of Adult Correction online records.

Aronberg said he expects Routh to face charges related to terrorism and weapons offenses, NewsNation said.

NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.

Updated at 10:45 p.m. EDT