A 58-year-old man from Hawaii, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, was detained on Sunday in Florida in connection with an alleged assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Routh, a self-employed affordable housing builder, had been active on social media, sharing his views on politics and current events.
Authorities suspect that Routh was planning to attack Trump while he was playing golf. Routh had posted comments on a social media account referencing a previous assassination attempt on Trump in July. In his posts, he tagged President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, urging them to visit those injured at the rally.
In one of his posts directed at Harris, Routh criticized Trump, stating, 'You and Biden should visit the injured people in the hospital from the Trump rally and attend the funeral of the murdered fireman. Trump will never do anything for them.'
Routh had also shared his thoughts on Biden's presidential campaign, suggesting it should be focused on 'Keep America democratic and free' (KADAF), contrasting it with what he called the Trump campaign's aim to 'make Americans slaves again master' (MASA). He emphasized the importance of democracy in his posts.
The incident involving Routh highlights the potential dangers of online rhetoric and the impact it can have on real-world actions. Authorities are continuing to investigate the situation and gather more information about Routh's motives and intentions.
