Ryan Wesley Routh, the man accused of attempting to assass!nate Donald Trump, has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including the attempted assass!nation of the former president.
The 58-year-old appeared in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday, just days after being charged with the assass!nation attempt. He was ordered to remain in custody without bail as his case progresses through the legal system.
Routh faces five federal charges after allegedly pointing a rifle through a fence at Trump’s golf club on September 15. Last week, prosecutors disclosed a disturbing letter in which he admitted to failing in his attempt to k!ll Trump. In the letter, Routh offered $150,000 to anyone who could “finish the job,” as revealed by the Department of Justice and obtained by DailyMail.
The letter, addressed to “the world,” criticized Trump for his handling of relations with Iran, stating, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whoever can complete the job.”
Attorney General Merrick Garland faced scrutiny from Republicans for making the letter public, with accusations of placing a “$150,000 bounty” on Trump’s head.
Routh also had a list of Trump’s upcoming public appearances and had searched for a route from Palm Beach, Florida, to Mexico. He is scheduled to appear in federal court for a detention hearing following the September 15 incident at Trump International Golf Club.
Federal prosecutors submitted a factual proffer detailing the events on the day of the attempted assassination. A Secret Service agent, patrolling the fence line between Trump’s golf course and a public street, spotted Routh’s partially obscured face along the brush and noticed a rifle barrel protruding. The agent fired at Routh, who then fled the scene.
At the time, Trump was playing on the fifth hole, while Routh positioned himself in line with the sixth hole green. Secret Service agents quickly evacuated Trump when they heard gunfire.
Witnesses reported seeing Routh run toward a nearby black Nissan Xterra, where law enforcement later discovered six cellphones—one of which contained a Google search for traveling from Palm Beach County to Mexico—12 pairs of gloves, a Hawaiian driver’s license in Routh’s name, and a list of Trump’s public appearances for August, September, and October.