Trump gunman get life sentence charges upgraded over assassination bid | US | News

A man who allegedly attempted to shoot Donald Trump at the former President’s golf course has tonight been charged with an assassination attempt – and could face a life sentence.

Ryan Wesley Routh, accused of staking out Trump for 12 hours on his Florida golf course and expressing a desire to kill him, has been indicted on an attempted assassination charge tonight. Initially, he was charged with two federal firearms offences.

The escalated charges are detailed in a five-count indictment, indicating that the United States Justice Department believes he meticulously planned to assassinate the Republican nominee. He aimed a rifle through the bushes surrounding Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course while Trump was playing.

Prosecutors said Routh left a note outlining his intentions.

Court records reveal that the case has been assigned to Aileen Cannon, a Trump-appointed federal judge who faced intense scrutiny for her handling of a criminal case accusing Trump of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. She dismissed that case in July, a decision now being appealed by special counsel Jack Smith’s team.

The attempted assassination indictment was hinted at during a court hearing on Monday, where prosecutors successfully argued for the 58 year old Routh to remain in custody due to being a flight risk and a threat to public safety.

The man accused of targeting Donald Trump penned a chilling note months before his September 15 arrest, detailing his “assassination attempt on Donald Trump” and offering $150,000 to anyone willing to “finish the job.”

This revelation came after he allegedly left the note at a witness’s residence.

Upon discovering the letter, which began with “Dear World,” the recipient snapped a photo of its first page and promptly alerted authorities following the botched assassination bid. Prosecutors also disclosed that Routh had compiled a list in his vehicle, noting locations where Trump was scheduled to appear during August, September, and October.

Routh faces a potential life sentence if convicted of the attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate. His indictment includes additional charges: assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm linked to a violent crime, and two initial firearms charges from last week.

The potential attack was foiled by an alert Secret Service agent who noticed a concealed face and rifle barrel through a fence line at the golf course where Trump was playing. The agent responded by firing towards Routh, who fled the scene but was later apprehended by law enforcement in a nearby county.

Routh did not fire any rounds and did not have Trump in his line of sight, officials have confirmed. However, he left behind a digital camera, a backpack, a loaded SKS-style rifle with a scope, and a plastic bag containing food.

The arrest occurred two months after Trump was shot and wounded in the ear during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The Secret Service has admitted to failings leading up to that shooting but insists that security functioned as it should have to prevent a potential attack in Florida.

Initially, Routh faced charges in a criminal complaint accusing him of illegally possessing his gun despite multiple felony convictions and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. In the US, it’s typical for prosecutors to bring preliminary and easily provable charges upon an arrest, then add more serious offences later as the investigation progresses.

The FBI initially stated it was investigating the incident as an apparent assassination attempt. However, the lack of an immediate charge to that effect allowed Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis to announce his own state-level investigation, which he said could lead to more serious charges.

Trump has voiced his discontent, claiming on Monday that federal prosecutors are “mishandling and downplaying” the case against him by imposing charges he considers a mere “slap on the wrist.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland responded to Trump’s remarks at an unrelated press conference, asserting that the Justice Department “would spare no resources to ensure accountability” in the ongoing case. “All of our top priority should be ensuring that accountability occurs in this case and that those who run for office and their families are safe and protected,” he stated.

Further details emerged as the Justice Department disclosed that six mobile phones were discovered in Routh’s car, one of which contained a Google search about traveling from Palm Beach County to Mexico.

A notebook found in Routh’s possession was rife with criticism towards Russian and Chinese governments and included notes on joining the Ukrainian war effort. Prosecutors also referenced a book penned by Routh last year where he sharply criticised Trump’s foreign policy, particularly regarding Ukraine, and suggested that Iran was “free to assassinate Trump” after the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal.

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