The man charged with the second alleged assassination attempt on Donald Trump has said he and the gunman who first tried to kill the president-elect in July were both “ready to die for freedom and democracy” in a bizarre letter written from prison.
Ryan Routh penned the letter from a federal detention center in Miami and addressed it to a Politico reporter prior to the presidential election.
In it, the 58-year-old drew a comparison between himself and gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, who almost killed Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 when he opened fire from a nearby rooftop, the outlet revealed. Crooks was shot dead at the scene by a Secret Service sniper.
Routh is accused of making a second attempt on Trump’s life on September 15 at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. He is currently awaiting trial after pleading not guilty to federal charges.
In the jailhouse letter, Routh wrote how he had no affiliation with one political party.
“I am unclear how we allowed ourselves to fall into just a two-party system,” Routh wrote.
“But it infuriates me. My entire life has been plagued by D’s and R’s. It seems not long ago there was a push for the libertarian party and now a green party and maybe Truth party. But for some reason our leaders have not allowed any other party [to] be recognized in any race.”
Routh reportedly revealed in the letter that a prison guard jokingly asked him if he was a Democrat.
“I said, ‘NO — Independent — I vote for the best candidate,’” he said.
Politico noted that Routh referred to himself throughout the letter as the “Trump Alleged Shooter.” He also warned the country to “remove the power of our military by the President and place it with Congress before January” in the event of a Trump victory.
“We must limit all Presidential power before Trump seizes our country,” he said. Politico added that Routh referred to Trump as a “dictator.”
Prosecutors said the Hawaii resident “stalked” Trump for over a month ahead of the attempted assassination, with cellphone data placing him near the golf course and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence over the course of August and September.
Police investigating Routh also discovered a handwritten list detailing Trump’s past and expected appearances at different venues between August and October, according to the Department of Justice.
On September 15, Routh allegedly camped outside the former president’s West Palm Beach golf course with a high-powered SKS-style assault rifle, waiting for Trump to pass by.
Prosecutors said a Secret Service agent spotted a gun barrel poking through a fence at a spot a few hundred yards away from Trump and fired his gun, prompting the suspect to allegedly flee.
Officials found a rifle with an “obliterated and unreadable” serial number left at the scene, according to the DOJ, as well as bulletproof armor plates.
Routh was arrested by Martin County Sheriff’s Office deputies soon after on the I-95.
“Violence targeting public officials endangers everything our country stands for, and the Department of Justice will use every available tool to hold Ryan Routh accountable for the attempted assassination of former President Trump charged in the indictment,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement at the time.
The charge of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate carries a potential life sentence.
The alleged plotter also faces three firearms-related charges and a charge of assaulting a federal officer.
His trial is scheduled to begin on February 20 next year.
