The Justice Department revealed new details in the case of a 58-year-old man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a golf course in Florida. The man, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, left behind a note expressing his intention to kill Trump and had a handwritten list of dates and venues where Trump was scheduled to appear.
The assassination plot was reportedly foiled by a Secret Service agent who noticed a rifle hidden in shrubbery at the West Palm Beach golf course where Trump was playing. The note, addressed to “Dear World,” was found in a box dropped off at an undisclosed location and indicated that the attempt would not be successful.
The box also contained ammunition, a metal pipe, and other items, which were discovered after Routh's arrest. The note included an offer of $150,000 to anyone who could complete the job of assassinating Trump.
Authorities found six cellphones in Routh's car, one of which showed a Google search on how to travel from Palm Beach County to Mexico. Additionally, a list of dates and venues where Trump had appeared or was scheduled to appear was found, along with a notebook filled with criticisms of the Russian and Chinese governments.
Cellphone records indicated that Routh traveled from Greensboro to West Palm Beach in mid-August and was near Trump’s golf club and Mar-a-Lago residence on multiple occasions between August 18 and the day of the attempted assassination.
The Justice Department filed a detention memo ahead of a hearing to argue for Routh to remain in custody as the case progresses. Routh's attorney has not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.
