A 58-year-old man, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, was arrested after being involved in an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday. Routh targeted Trump while he was golfing and had a history of criminal offenses in North Carolina. He was known to post about politics on social media, expressing strong support for Democratic candidates and causes, while also making negative comments about Trump. Routh’s social media posts echoed anti-Trump rhetoric used by Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden, emphasizing democracy being on the ballot.
This attempted assassination comes two months after a separate incident against Trump. Routh was found near Trump’s golf club with an AK-47, prompting Secret Service agents to open fire on him. He was later arrested on I-95 by local police. Routh’s social media presence also showed support for Ukraine and Taiwan in their conflicts against Russia and China, respectively. In prior interviews, he expressed a desire to recruit soldiers to fight in Ukraine and had a fascination with purchasing a rocket to target Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Routh’s political affiliations were described as supporting Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley, encouraging them to continue their presidential races. He also expressed frustration with Ukraine’s management of foreign soldiers participating in their conflicts. The incident raised questions about the potential dangers of extremist rhetoric and incitement, with calls for accountability in political discourse. Neither Biden nor Harris immediately responded to requests for comment on the situation.
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