Ryan Wesley Routh, a U.S. citizen and pro-Ukraine activist, was arrested in Florida after allegedly attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Routh was apprehended by authorities after pointing a rifle through a fence at a West Palm Beach golf club where Trump was present. He fled the scene in a black Nissan but was quickly taken into custody by law enforcement.
Routh had been previously flagged for erratic behavior, both in the U.S. and abroad, but warnings were not fully acted upon before the attempted attack.
Routh’s behavior had raised concerns long before the incident in Florida. In 2022, he traveled to Ukraine to join efforts against the Russian invasion. While there, Routh’s unpredictable behavior and threatening language alarmed many.
Chelsea Walsh, a nurse who met Routh in Kyiv, reported him to U.S. authorities as a potential threat. She documented his behavior and described him as the most dangerous American she encountered while in Ukraine.
Despite these concerns, Routh continued his activities both in Ukraine and the U.S. without intervention. Walsh’s warning to a Customs and Border Protection officer at Washington’s Dulles airport in June 2022 did not lead to further action. She later noted his pattern of threatening world leaders, which she reported to U.S. authorities multiple times.
Routh’s reputation as a concerning figure was not limited to his interactions in the U.S. While in Ukraine, he was regarded by volunteer aid groups as a "fraudster" with erratic tendencies. He falsely claimed to work with the Ukrainian government to recruit foreign fighters, a claim that was publicly denied by Ukraine’s International Legion.
Sarah Adams, a former CIA officer, also encountered Routh during his time in Ukraine and expressed concern over his activities.
"Beware of American Ryan Routh," Adams noted, highlighting his efforts to recruit Afghan soldiers under false pretenses. His behavior raised suspicion, leading Adams and others to report him to the State Department in 2023. Routh’s actions were seen as troubling, including attempts to engage in human trafficking or immigration fraud.
Routh's attempts to position himself as a key figure in aiding Ukraine were marked by increasingly erratic behavior.
He was banned from aid group communication platforms after his involvement in suspicious activities. He even displayed physical signs of his loyalty to Ukraine and the U.S., such as dying his hair blue and yellow and wearing an American flag T-shirt.
Routh also put up posters in Kyiv urging people to contact him for ways to support Ukraine, which further raised alarm. The U.S. State Department and other authorities received reports about his actions, but no decisive measures were taken to halt his activities at that time.
Several individuals, including Chelsea Walsh and Sarah Adams, were vocal about Routh’s dangerous tendencies.
Walsh, who had multiple interactions with him, shared that Routh had expressed a desire to kill various world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. While she could not remember specific threats against Trump and President Joe Biden, she reported his alarming statements to both the FBI and Interpol.
These warnings came before the attempted attack on Trump, yet they did not lead to Routh being placed under closer scrutiny. Walsh made multiple attempts to warn authorities, most recently filing an FBI tip after learning of Routh’s recruitment efforts involving Syrian refugees.
According to an unnamed French man who interacted with Routh in Ukraine, Routh expressed strong dissatisfaction with Trump’s negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This anger toward Trump appeared to motivate his eventual actions. Routh’s behavior continued to escalate until the assassination attempt, despite the numerous red flags raised by those who encountered him.
Sarah Adams, who closely followed Routh’s activities in Ukraine, described how many people attempted to prevent others from falling for his scams and false claims. Nevertheless, Routh managed to carry on with his troubling activities up until the moment of his arrest in Florida.
