Ryan Wesley Routh, the second wannabe assassin of President Donald Trump during the 2024 election season — who is accused of trying to kill the president at his golf course in September — has been charged with attempted murder and terrorism by the state of Florida.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier told Fox & Friends on Thursday that his office has finally secured a warrant and is charging Routh with attempted first-degree murder and terrorism after the former administration stonewalled Florida’s efforts to “pursue justice.”
“We want a justice system that is willing to pursue justice, no matter what party is in charge,” Uthmeier said. “Joe Biden and the Democrats did everything they could to drag their feet and refuse to cooperate with the state of Florida.”
“Under Attorney General Bondi and the Trump administration and our new FBI director, it’s been a breath of fresh air — very different. They’ve been transparent and cooperative,” the Florida Attorney General added.
Uthmeier also noted that the federal government has made their evidentiary folder available to his office, and that more evidence about the case will become public soon.
Routh, who is also facing federal charges, is now facing state charges in Florida for attempted first-degree murder and terrorism in an alleged plot to assassinate President Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course on September 15, 2024.
After the apparent assassination attempt in September, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed an executive order authorizing state agencies to pursue charges, such as attempted murder, reminding the public that in most cases, attempted murder is a state crime.
If convicted, the wannabe assassin suspect could be sentenced to life in prison.
Routh, who reportedly wrote, “This was an assassination attempt” in a letter to a friend, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted assassination of a president that have already been brought against him by a federal grand jury.
The latest charges against Routh come days after federal prosecutors revealed the 59-year-old suspect tried to obtain military-grade weapons, including a rocket launcher, from someone he knew in Ukraine as part of his alleged assassination plot.
Routh told his Ukrainian contact to “send me a rpg [rocket-propelled grenade] or stinger, and I will see what we can do,” adding, “[Trump] is not good for Ukraine,” according to court documents obtained by Fox News.
Prosecutors say that during the early morning hours of September 15, 2024, Routh set up a sniper hideout near Trump International Golf Club — where he was armed with a military-grade SKS rifle he had illegally obtained — and positioned himself in anticipation of Trump arriving to play golf.
But before President Trump came into his view, Routh was spotted by Secret Service agents — who travel a hole or two ahead of Trump while he is golfing to secure the area — and was confronted, at which point agents opened fire, resulting in the suspect fleeing the scene, leaving his rifle behind, prosecutors add.
Routh was arrested that same day, and was caught with a written escape plan, multiple burner phones, fake IDs, and stolen license plates, authorities said.
In December, Routh was hit with another attempted murder charge stemming from an accident that almost killed a young girl when police shut down traffic after he fled from the bushes near Trump International Golf Club, prosecutors noted.
Routh’s trial is set to begin on September 8, 2025.
The September 15 incident was the second assassination attempt President Trump survived within the span of two months during the 2024 election campaign.
On July 13, Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt when he was shot in the ear after the first failed assassin suspect, Thomas Matthew Crooks, opened fire on him while he was speaking at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
That first assassination attempt resulted in the death of former fire chief Corey Comperatore and severe injuries to two other rally goers, David Dutch and James Copenhaver.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
