Ryan Wesley Routh, identified as the man accused of aiming an AK-style rifle at Trump International Golf Club where former President Trump was playing, is a 58-year-old resident from North Carolina. Secret Service agents spotted Routh with the rifle on the golf course perimeter in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday.
Routh, who has a criminal record that includes a 2002 conviction for possessing a weapon of mass destruction, was not previously known to law enforcement, according to Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg. When confronted by Secret Service agents, Routh fled in an SUV after dropping the rifle. He was apprehended without incident in Martin County, Florida.
The Trump campaign confirmed that the former president was unharmed about an hour after the incident. The motive behind Routh’s actions remains unclear.
Routh’s social media activity reveals his shifting political affiliations. He supported Donald Trump in 2016 but became disillusioned with the former president. By 2020, Routh backed Tulsi Gabbard, and in 2024, he supported Republican candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley. His posts also show strong opinions on the Ukraine conflict. The New York Times reported that Routh, originally from Greensboro, North Carolina, traveled to Ukraine in 2022 to recruit ex-Afghan soldiers to support the Ukrainian cause.
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Routh had previously spoken with The New York Times and Newsweek Romania about his recruitment efforts in Ukraine. He was also identified as the head of the International Volunteer Center (IVC), an organization that supports humanitarian aid in Ukraine.
Federal Election Commission records show Routh made modest political contributions to various Democratic candidates between September 2019 and March 2020, including Beto O’Rourke, Andrew Yang, Tom Steyer, and Elizabeth Warren. Notably, he also supported Tulsi Gabbard, who has since aligned with Trump. There were no donations to President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris.
On the day of the incident, Secret Service agents spotted Routh with an AK-47 rifle, which he abandoned when confronted. Photos released by law enforcement show the rifle propped up between two bags on a fence.
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Teri Barbera confirmed Routh was the only person of interest. State Attorney Dave Aronberg mentioned that state-level charges would be filed initially, with potential federal charges to follow.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were promptly briefed on the incident and the ongoing investigation. Vice President Harris remarked, “I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.”
President Biden echoed these sentiments, stating, “I am relieved that the former President is unharmed. As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or any violence in our country. I have directed my team to ensure that the Secret Service has every resource, capability, and protective measure necessary to safeguard the former President.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also addressed the situation on X, emphasizing, “The people deserve the truth about the would-be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee.”
Before the incident, Routh was reportedly living in Hawaii. Following his identification, his accounts on X and Facebook were deleted, but some of his posts were preserved through screenshots by users and news outlets, including The Daily Boulder. See some of his posts below.
