Last fall, just weeks after President Donald Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a second man took his own shot—this time literally.
The details emerging from court filings surrounding Ryan Wesley Routh are not just disturbing; they are chilling. The failed assassin waited in the Florida heat for twelve hours, armed with a scoped AK-style rifle and a GoPro, just 300 yards from Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club. But what’s even more staggering? That may not have been the worst part of his plan.
‼️‼️Disturbing Details of Ryan Routh’s Alleged Plot to Kill Trump:
Ryan Routh, who allegedly tried to kill Donald Trump on his golf course in West Palm Beach, attempted to buy a “rocket propelled grenade” from someone he believed to be a “Ukranian with access to the military,”… pic.twitter.com/SFxBfnEcv9
— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) April 8, 2025
Routh wasn’t some random drifter who stumbled across Trump’s location. He was calculated. He was deliberate. According to investigators, he waited in the shrubbery near Trump International Golf Club, camera rolling, scope ready, and intent clear.
A Secret Service agent eventually spotted him, opened fire, and Routh fled—only to be later arrested by local authorities. That moment may have prevented the second successful assassination of a former or sitting U.S. president.
But the investigation didn’t end there.
According to new court filings from the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Florida, Routh wasn’t just satisfied with a rifle. No, this man allegedly attempted to purchase a rocket-propelled grenade launcher—possibly even a stinger missile—from someone he believed to be a Ukrainian arms contact. Let that sink in: the man plotted to shoot down Trump’s campaign plane with a weapon of war.
I’ve located the Florida Southern District court filing.
The Justice Dept. prosecutors argue that the evidence that Routh tried to buy a “rocket-propelled grenade” should be admissible because “it is direct evidence of Routh’s assassination attempt because it is itself a…
— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) April 8, 2025
And the motive? “Trump is not good for Ukraine,” Routh reportedly said. This wasn’t just a lone-wolf grievance. This was a politically motivated assassination attempt—an act of war from a private citizen on American soil.
Routh’s plot came in the immediate aftermath of the Butler, Pennsylvania rally, where Trump survived a headshot by millimeters. That day, Corey Comperatore, a retired fire chief, was killed protecting his family. Trump was wounded. Two others were severely injured. Routh apparently watched that scene and felt only one thing: regret that it wasn’t successful.
“I wish,” he said about the near-fatal attack.
This isn’t just a mental health case or a bizarre internet spiral. This was a man seeking military-grade weapons to murder a former—and possibly future—President of the United States. The implications are staggering. He was emboldened by global politics, specifically Trump’s opposition to endless funding for Ukraine, and he was actively trying to bring in foreign-sourced weapons to carry out his plan.
