What We Know About Ryan Routh, Suspect in 2nd Trump Assassination Attempt

Law enforcement officials have named 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh of Hawaii as the suspect in the apparent assassination attempt on former President Trump on Sunday.

The Attempt: Routh hid on the edge of Trump's Florida golf course for nearly 12 hours before a Secret Service agent spotted him, according to the FBI. The Secret Service said he never fired his weapon and never had a line of sight on Trump.

The Suspect: Routh has previously been arrested for weapons violations, including for "possessing weapons of mass destruction," drug possession, and vehicle-related infractions. In 2002, he reportedly barricaded himself in an office during a three-hour standoff following a traffic stop. It appears Routh supported Trump in 2016, but in 2020 donated to multiple Democrats. Facebook and X suspended Routh’s accounts, preventing people from seeing his previous posts.

Pro-Ukraine Stances: Routh has expressed staunch support for Ukraine. In April, he reportedly expressed a desire to kill Russian President Vladimir Putin in a post directed at Elon Musk on X. In 2022, Routh ostensibly appeared in a promotional video for Ukraine’s far-right Azov Brigade, which notably has ties to Nazism. Lean Left outlets Semafor and The New York Times previously interviewed Routh about his Ukraine support. Ukraine's international legion said it had nothing to do with Routh, while a Kremlin spokesman said, "playing with fire has its consequences."  

How The Media Covered It: The story is still developing. The Times stopped short of confirming Routh’s alleged 2002 run-in with officials, writing that “a man with the same name and similar age” was arrested. Fox News (Right bias) and others on the right framed much of their coverage around Routh's prior offenses.