Federal prosecutors have revealed new explosive details in the case against Ryan Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate US President Donald Trump at a Florida golf course in September, 2024.
In a court filing on Monday, authorities said Routh not only staked out Trump on the green with a semi-automatic rifle but also attempted to acquire military-grade weapons, including an anti-aircraft missile, to shoot down Trump’s plane.
According to court documents, Routh tried to purchase a Stinger missile and a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) from someone he believed to be a Ukrainian arms dealer, reported CBS News.
In messages exchanged in August 2024, he wrote, “Send me an RPG or Stinger and I will see what we can do.” He also added, “I need equipment so that Trump cannot get elected.”
According to The Guardian, Routh also scouted Palm Beach International Airport, where Trump regularly flew in and out during the campaign, supporting the prosecution’s claim that the weapons were intended to target Trump’s plane. Prosecutors called his attempts a “substantial step taken in furtherance of his plot,” and described the alleged plan as “squarely within the realm of an attempt on his life.”
Court filings state Routh also tried to acquire a .50-caliber rifle from a contact at a Florida gun show, an even more powerful version of the semi-automatic SKS-style rifle he allegedly carried to the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.
A Secret Service agent spotted the weapon protruding from the shrubbery approximately 300-500 yards from where Trump was playing. Routh fled the scene without firing and was arrested later that day nearly 50 miles away.
According to the New York Post, Routh left behind a loaded rifle, a digital camera, and two backpacks, one of which reportedly contained food and supplies. Prosecutors now say he had also corresponded with a Mexican smuggler named “Ramiro” on WhatsApp to plan his escape across the border following the alleged assassination attempt.
Routh’s defense team has filed a motion to suppress an eyewitness identification they say was improperly influenced by police. The witness was shown a single photo of Routh after his arrest, which the defense argues created a risk of “irreparable misidentification.”
Routh has pleaded not guilty to five federal charges, including attempted assassination of a presidential candidate. His trial is scheduled to begin on 8 September 2025 in Florida, before Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.
The case comes in the shadow of another assassination attempt in July 2024, when a separate gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania. That assailant was shot dead by Secret Service.
Trump went on to defeat Kamala Harris in the general election later that year.
